Buried Emotions
by criminally charmed
Summary: Alan has made it most of the way through college with no major trauma. That has to change...and past issues are sure to drive the entire Tracy Clan to the brink.
1. Chapter 1

**Buried Emotions**

_**Disclaimer - Ok, this is my New Year's Resolution...Don't be sarcastic. Be patient. Own the Thunderbirds...**_

_**Damn. I broke all my resolutions already.**_

* * *

**Chapter One **

Christmas. It was a time for family, a time of peace...

A time for wrapping up paperwork.

Kate Tracy looked up as her husband entered the small office they shared in their home. Running along behind him was a giggling Jason, her firstborn son. And in his arms was a bundle of fuss...

Standing, Kate held her arms out for her four month old son. Scott hastily transferred the baby to his wife.

"There you go, Mama's boy," Scott sighed in relief. "He doesn't do this if you're off the Island, you know. But the kid knows when you're here."

"Of course he does," Kate cooed. "You are a clever boy, aren't you, DJ?"

"I know when Mama is here," Jason pouted.

"Yes, sweetie," Kate laughed. "And you know how to call me at the office. But next time, don't use your grandfather's override code to ask me if you can have a cookie after lunch when I am in a board meeting."

"Didn't think you'd mind," Jason said, looking at his feet. "Uncle Gordy doesn't like to be bored so I thought I would call you so you wouldn't be."

Kate raised an eyebrow and took her oldest by the hand. "C'mon, Champ, let's see if Onaha has any of those oatmeal peanut butter cookies for you. And Scott – what have I said about which of your siblings to allow baby-sitting?"

Scott sighed, knowing he was caught. He really wished Chanukah had fallen closer to Christmas this year like it had last year. Then maybe Kate would be too busy trying to coordinate getting the boys to visit her family over the Jewish holiday before having Christmas here on the Island. But nope. This year Chanukah had come two weeks ago and Christmas was next week.

"Really, Kate! Jason should have been taking his nap. How was I to know he'd wake up?"

"Sweetie," Kate cheerfully asked her oldest as they skirted around the fenced in upper pool, "last time Uncle Gordy baby-sat you, how long a nap did you take?"

Gordon was sitting by the pool, re-working a diagram for a Tracy Industries project and heard his sister-in-law's question. He froze, hoping that like the prey of a T-Rex, if he stayed still, Kate would walk right past him.

But nope – there was Kate's "if looks could kill" glare as her son happily answered.

"I didn't take one. Uncle Gordy says naps are for babies!"

Kate knelt beside her oldest, letting DJ rest against her shoulder. "Jason Alan Tracy – you are not even five and if I say you still need a nap, you do. And someday, when you are President, you can look back and say you owe your success to not doing what your uncle said."

"Hey!" Gordon protested only to fall silent again when Kate glared at him.

Scott chuckled only to freeze when Kate glared at him as well. "But Kate, I needed to adjust something on One and…"

A plane overhead interrupted him and Jason squealed in delight, running into the main house. "Lizbeth! Michael! Unca Alan is home, Unca Alan is home!"

Soon the three children, Michael a bit slower than his cousins, were hurrying down the path that led to the hangers. With a sigh, Kate stood, pulling her husband aside just in time to avoid being run over by Sarah, her red-hair flying as she scooped up her son on the fly. Virgil was quickly following, calling out to Sarah to "remember the baby" even as he grabbed his niece and nephew to join his wife.

"She does know that she's pregnant, right?" Kate sighed.

Scott raised an eyebrow at Kate before grinning. "Beat ya down to the hangers!"

Kate's long legs soon had her matching her spouse stride per stride, laughing all the way.

Gordon stood up, a frown on his face. Whenever Alan came home, their household seemed to turn itself upside down, with comments of "being a family again". What was he – chopped liver? Except for when Alan was home, his brothers tended to focus on the families they were creating with their wives. Seriously...Gordon loved his sisters-in-law, his niece and nephews and God knew he loved Allie...

Pushing any negative thoughts to the side, Gordon began to jog down to the hangers. Might as well join the crowd.

It was a little less lonely.

* * *

Alan Tracy smiled as he stood, stretching, holding out his hand to his girlfriend, Tin-Tin Kyrano. "Home again," he whispered, kissing her softly.

Before Tin-Tin could respond, Jeff came from the back of the plane, yawning. "No, no, no…I thought we agreed. There are some things I never have to see."

As Tin-Tin giggled, Alan rolled his eyes. "Dad, you live in the same compound as your other sons, three who are married. You aren't going to tell me that you never see anything with them, are you?"

Jeff sighed. "I see way too much sometimes. There are things a father doesn't want to know is happening."

Now Alan laughed. "Dad I have a niece, three nephews and another one on the way. You can't tell me you don't know your sons are, well, _busy_?"

"There is a big difference between knowing and _knowing_, Alan." Jeff glanced at the purity rings the two twenty-one year olds still wore and gave a small smile. He knew those rings were going to be replaced by wedding rings one day soon but it might be easier to pretend that they had just changed styles. Yeah, he could pull that off…

At least until Alan presented him with a grandchild as well.

* * *

The three Tracys hadn't even made it all the way off of Tracy One when the thundering herd that was their family came rushing into the cavernous hanger, Tin-Tin's parents coming in more sedately from the elevators leading directly from the main house. Soon Alan was being passed from each family member, hugged and kissed (well, by his sisters-in-law) while Onaha and Kyrano quietly fussed over their only child.

"Geesh!" Gordon groaned. "You would think he's been to war and we haven't seen him in years instead of him being home for Thanksgiving."

Alan just laughed. "Thanks for the attempted reprieve, Fish-face, but you know the elders like to fuss."

"I don' wanna fuss, Unca Allie," Jason piped up. "I wanna play."

"I _want_ to play, Jason," Kate gently corrected her eldest.

"Unca Gordy says you and Daddy play way too much, Mama," Jason responded. "And that's why we gots DJ."

"Gordon Cooper Tracy," Kate growled, turning on her red-headed brother in law who had gone suddenly pale.

Showing an amazing in-tune sense of self-preservation, Gordon fled from the hanger, Kate on his trail.

Alan continued to laugh. "The Hasty Pudding had nothing on this," he chuckled as he lifted Elizabeth and set her on one hip before balancing Jason on the other.

Tin-Tin was cuddling DJ – who had gone to her from his mother moments before Gordon made his ill-timed remark – and shook her head. "Just remember who had pictures of you from the ceremony."

Sarah grinned. "Why Alan…did you participate in the Hasty Pudding Award this year?"

Lowering his head, Alan sighed. "I was a last-minute, completely un-credited fill-in for one of my classmates. Out there less than thirty seconds and guess who decided to stop by?"

Putting her arm around Sarah, Tin-Tin whispered, "I'll show the other girls and you the pictures. No way are the boys seeing them. But my man has great legs, got it?"

The women left laughing, Onaha following along while the brothers and Kyrano grabbed the college students' luggage, Jeff getting his own.

Virgil hefted Alan's messenger bag over his shoulder. "Too bad you had to wait until today to come home," he said as they headed towards the elevator – easier to get the luggage back to the main house – "The Hackenbackers headed up to Five yesterday."

"I called Fermat before he left," Alan assured them. "And we'll be giving him a ride back to Cal-Sci after the break."

"I still don't know what was so important that you had to be in New York," Scott said. "I mean, we could have picked you up in Boston two days ago when Harvard got out."

"And MIT got out yesterday," Alan reminded his oldest brother. "Tin only met up with us last night. And being in New York yesterday gave Dad and I a chance to finish our Christmas shopping. Or did you forget Dad couldn't leave until after his meeting this morning?"

Scott looked mutinous. "I still could have gotten you yesterday in Tracy Two."

Jason looked confused. "Unca Alan? Daddy does know yous a grown-up now, right?"

Alan gave his nephew a peck on the head even as he adjusted the boy's weight on his right hip. "Not in this life-time, Champ. Not in this life-time."

* * *

Alan was helping set the table as Onaha and Tin-Tin finished up the dinner preparations (with Tin-Tin mainly talking while her mother smiled and exchanged humorous glances with Alan).

"That was a lovely picture of the two of you from the dance at Harvard, Alan," Onaha said when Tin-Tin stopped to take a breath.

Smiling, Alan nodded. "It was actually a fundraiser for a homeless shelter in Boston. They do great work. I'm helping the head of the shelter with paperwork for the Tracy Charitable Trust but figured it would help to have something sooner. Nice thing about a lot of Harvard people – they are always up for a party." Alan's face went cynical before he sighed.

"And it wasn't that hard to line up support as soon as I said the name Tracy. I don't mind too much, it was for a good cause. But it would be better if people were willing to listen to Alan, the student who was trying to help, and not just Billionaire Jeff Tracy's son."

"I always prefer "business man Jeff Tracy"," Jeff said as he entered, Scott and Virgil – with their wives and children – followed on his heels.

"I'm used to "Jeff Tracy, ex-astronaut"," Scott murmured as he snitched a slice of tomato from the salad before Onaha could swat his hand.

"How about "living legend Jeff Tracy"?" Virgil asked as he tickled Michael long enough to make the three year old giggle and relax so that Sarah could get him in his new booster seat.

"How about Dad?" Gordon said as he entered with Kyrano following him, the two bringing the extension needed to allow the entire family to sit at the table.

Alan looked pensive. "I don't know, Gordy. I don't think I'd like a bunch of people in Boston calling our father Dad. Especially any who are older than me. And definitely not anyone older than Scott."

"Yeah, that would be weird," Kate said as she gratefully took a bottle from Tin-Tin and began to feed DJ.

"Hey Donnie boy," Gordon tickled his nephew's toe even as the baby spit out the nipple and began to fuss.

"Gordon!" Scott hissed. "How many times do we have to tell you – don't call him that!"

Gordon sighed as he sat back in his chair. "I don't know why not. His name is Donald Jefferson."

"And he doesn't like it," Kate snapped as she calmed her baby down.

"Alan was like that," Jeff murmured as he pulled the tea and water jugs from the refrigerator.

Frowning, Alan looked at his father. "Huh? I like my name. Even when I was younger and you called me Allie."

"Alan wasn't my first choice," Jeff sighed. "It was your mother's. You were all named for Mercury Seven Astronauts."

The Tracy kids (birth and marriage) all nodded – they knew that.

"Well, when Alan was born, there were two left – Alan Sheppard and Walter Schirra."

"That's right," Alan snapped his fingers. "And you wanted to name me Walter. How did Mom win that one?"

Jeff took a sip of tea and grimaced. "I tried calling you Walter and you screamed your head off until I agreed we would call you Alan. Then you calmed right down and began cooing like crazy."

The family looked at each other and soon was laughing.

Sarah shook her head. "That's our Allie – strong willed since birth."

"Should I set a place for John and Emily?" Alan asked as he got his breath back.

"They said they would be back for dinner," Scott said as he poured milk for the three older grandchildren.

"Should we wait?" Onaha asked even as she began to set plates on the table.

Jeff shook his head. "They should be here soon. And I don't know about everyone else, but I am starved."

The other Tracy men (this included Jason and Michael) nodded in agreement making the women roll their eyes. A Tracy man not hungry? Reserve a bed in the infirmary.

Soon everyone was seated at the table, passing plates and bowls of food around and all seeming to talk at once. Alan was especially busy, talking about happenings at college or his work at the local Tracy office, while Jason seemed determined to talk his favorite uncle (a fact that Kate laughingly chalked up to Alan was the first face the kid ever saw since the then seventeen year old had delivered the baby) about what Alan had missed in the last four weeks.

Gordon spoke to Alan in what he thought was a soft tone.

"Al – I need to talk to you after dinner."

"What Gordon?" Alan responded only to have Gordon answer in a louder voice that should have blended with the others.

"I need to talk to you after dinner."

Unfortunately, he spoke just as a rare moment of silence had occurred.

Alan looked confused.

"What about?" When Gordon remained silent, Alan sighed. "Whatever it is, Gordo – speak now. I don't have the energy for any pranks right now so if it is that, forget it."

Several people looked concerned at Alan's confession of being tired but Gordon continued.

"I just think this is something private," Gordon insisted.

"We don't keep secrets like that in this family," Jeff said smoothly seeing Alan becoming annoyed.

"And before you say anything," Alan said, seeing Gordon's eyes flicker to the section of the table were the Kyranos all sat. It had been hard for Alan and Jeff to convince the family to eat with the Tracys and he wasn't going to have Gordon say anything to upset his future in-laws. "I consider the Kyranos family. So if it is that big a deal, spill."

"Fine," Gordon said, angrily putting down his glass. "I just thought I could spare Tin-Tin the knowledge of Annabeth Roberts."

"How do you know about Annabeth?" Tin-Tin asked, surprised only that Gordon knew. A quick glance at Alan assured her he had not said anything to his brother.

"You knew Alan had cheated on you?" Gordon gasped.

"Cheated on?" Alan laughed, shaking his head before frowning. "Wait – how did you even know that name?"

Gordon looked mutinous. "A little bird told me you were seen coming and going from her house. And that it has been going on for at least a year."

"Actually," Emily said calmly as she entered the room, "I think it has been more like three years, hasn't it Alan?"

Alan nodded even as he stood to receive hugs from Emily and John before they sat down at the table and began to fill their plates, and fuss with Elizabeth.

"January of my Freshman year," Alan mused. "Although I don't call on her as often as I had been."

"That's very healthy, right?" Tin-Tin asked Emily who smiled at Alan and then Jeff, nodding.

"Yes," Emily agreed. "Just so long as you know, if you ever need to talk, she will still be there."

Alan smiled before frowning at Gordon.

"Since you seemed so determined to rat me out for my supposed sin, I'll tell you everything, Gordon. Annabeth Roberts in a psychiatrist. Her office is in her brownstone on Beacon Hill and there is no sign outside because many of her patients are high profile – athletes, celebrities or politicians. In addition to counseling, she makes sure her services are discreet. Can you imagine the headlines of "Jeff Tracy's son goes bonkers?" That would be a story Ana Nevada would love to sink her claws into."

Several understanding looks or hand squeezes met Alan's statement but Gordon was undeterred.

"What did you need a shrink for?" Gordon demanded.

Alan slammed down his glass and glared at his brother.

"Gee – let's do a head count. Just while I was in high school, I was taken hostage three times, caught in two bomb blasts – one with the avalanche and another making me blind temporarily – was shot at, poisoned, and let's not by-pass the whole thing with the Hood. Oh, yeah. And please recall why I was sent to Wharton's in the first place? Professor Pervert? The one who got away with it for years because no one listened to me?"

Alan felt a moment of guilt seeing the distress that caused the rest of the family but he pushed on.

"And then there was Tomo. My best friend and practically another brother to me. He died, Gordon. Died partially as a result of injuries he had gotten trying to protect me. I had to live with that. So I managed to "stay strong and carry on" as Lady P would say."

Drawing a deep breath, he felt Tin-Tin's calming presence and smiled at her briefly before continuing.

"But when I went back to school after Christmas that year, I felt…lost. And I had begun to have panic attacks. And nightmares. Emily saw the circles under my eyes and flew out to talk to me. I had my first session within forty-eight hours of her landing in Boston."

Standing up, Alan tossed down his napkin. "Sorry, Dad – I can't eat. And before anyone says anything, I will eat later, I promise."

Alan got up and walked away, Tin-Tin quickly following him. But before anyone could say anything to Gordon, Jason seemed to sum everything up when he threw a biscuit at his uncle.

"Bad Unca Gordy!"

* * *

_**A/N - OK, so Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Mine was pretty good. Time may not heal all wounds, but it does make things not hurt as much. Now...**_

_**Alan - You're back, huh?**_

_**CC - Yep. Proverbial bad apple.**_

_**Alan - Gordon still have issues.**_

_**CC - Gordy still has issues.**_

_**Alan - Why not let him, um...**_

_**CC - Get busy? Oh, he has been. He just needs to fall in love.**_

_**Alan - So...I finally cracked, huh?**_

_**CC - No, you just needed someone to tell you life isn't trying to make you miserable.**_

_**Alan - Yeah, just you.**_

_**CC - It's my purpose in life. Hot chocolate and cake?**_

_**Alan - Might as well. **_

_**CC - Laters. And keep warm folks. Because up here in New England, it's been a wee bit chilly.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer - see chapter one. (Because that was a damn good disclaimer, wasn't it?)**_

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Dinner ended a lot more quietly – and quicker – than a Tracy family dinner usually did. Gordon remained through the end, even taking a seat in the living room with the rest of the family afterwards.

Kate continued to lightly rock DJ, even after the baby had fallen back asleep. She smiled at Jason, who had squeezed in between his parents, as he held his little brother's hand between his thumb and forefinger. Seeing both her {little} boys content, Kate finally looked over at Jeff who had been listening as Sarah and Emily discussed supplies needed for the infirmary. Virgil was busy trying to teach Michael to play the piano while Elizabeth was cuddled up next to her father.

Clearing her throat, Kate made sure she had the family's attention before she spoke. "Dad, I'm not saying it wasn't a good idea for Alan to get counseling. After even one of those events, any FBI agent would have been assigned counseling. But that sort of help only works if the person can be completely honest. And how could Alan be?"

Jeff sighed before he looked at John and Emily. The couple clasped hands and nodded, encouraging Jeff to go forward.

"He could be completely honest," Jeff said. "Dr. Roberts was already aware of the "family business," he explained, using air quotes at the end.

Gordon snickered. "Don't tell me – another rescue that caught us with a helmet off like Shana Pierce?"

"No," John said quietly. "But Shana did have a lot to do with it. Shana recommended Alan get counseling after the hit-and-run. The whole thing had been pretty traumatic and she knew for Alan to get anything out of it, total honesty would be needed. But she felt Dr. Roberts was trustworthy."

Jeff sighed again. "I turned her down. And again after he was poisoned and again after the incident at the Museum. But after Tomo died and Alan…well, I called Shana and got Dr. Roberts' name so I could begin to screen her in case Alan needed someone."

"So you called her after the avalanche? But I thought Alan said he didn't begin to see her until after Christmas and that was more than half a year later," Sarah mused.

"Actually," Emily admitted, "John and I called her first. We started seeing her that summer for marriage counseling."

Scott looked stunned. "Marriage counseling? Had things gotten that bad for you two?"

John and Emily still had their hands clasped and smiled at each other before John spoke.

"It was…hard. Emily and I had issues, ones that came to a head. We knew we needed to find a safe ground to work them out and sessions with Dr. Roberts did that."

"But did you have to tell her about the Thunderbirds?" Kate asked, absently de-tangling some of her hair from DJ's fist.

"Since John's job was one of the problems," Emily sighed, "yes. Yes, we did have to explain. Especially most of our session were vid-phone ones, a lot with John up on Five."

John chuckled. "I still remember the look on her face the first time one of our sessions was cut short by a rescue. What did she say again?"

Emily smiled. "She agreed with me…that was damn annoying."

The family chuckled, having often encountered that in their own lives.

"Is it really helping Alan?" Virgil said in concern.

"Yes, it is," Alan's voice said as he entered the room, Tin-Tin holding his hand. Taking an over-sized hassock, Alan sat down, pulling his girlfriend between his legs allowing them to spoon.

Onaha peeked out of the kitchen. "Alan, did you and Tin-Tin eat?"

"Yes, Mom," Tin-Tin called to her parent. "We had some avocado and chicken sandwiches down at our house before coming back up."

"That sounds good," Emily murmured even as she took a sip of green tea.

Virgil looked suspiciously at his sister-in-law. "Em, what was the appointment that you and John had to keep in Auckland?"

"Virgil Grissom Tracy," Kate admonished. "That's kinda private, don't you think?"

But Virgil was already eyeing his own wife. The wives tended to go to Sarah for any medical care if Emily wasn't available. "Is she…?" he whispered.

John and Emily smiled at each other before looking around.

"Well, we were thinking of waiting until Christmas," John smiled. "But since Virgil has already guessed, we might as well spill. Emmy's pregnant."

While cries of joy usually met such an announcement on the Island, most of the family froze. Emily sighed.

"Ahh – this is a good thing people," the blonde doctor sighed.

"Honey, it's not that we aren't thrilled," Kate began, "it's just, well, we know what the doctors said."

Emily and John held hands again and nodded, grateful that Kate hadn't gone into detail in front of Elizabeth.

John shrugged. "Dr. Monahan feels if Emily follows instructions and can keep her BP under control during the pregnancy, she and the baby should be just fine. Emily is actually thirteen weeks along and everything looks good."

Emily smiled at Alan. "The device we worked on last summer was one of the key factors in my getting the all clear."

"Device?" Virgil asked before noticing the watch-like item on Emily's wrist. Similar in design to the watches the Thunderbirds all wore but different…

Holding up her arm, Emily explained. "Alan and I took the basic design of the watch and applied it as a BP monitor. It sends alerts if needed as well as keeping a running log for my doctors."

Alan smiled. "I thought it was a good idea but I had no idea the family would directly benefit from practical application of it."

"Tracy Enterprises does get first dibs on that, right?" Kate asked, making the rest of the family laugh.

"Yes, Kate," Alan chuckled before standing up, pulling Tin with him. "Can I be the first to congratulate you two?"

As Emily hugged her youngest brother-in-law, she murmured, "You better."

Soon the room was full of hugs, kisses and plenty of good cheer.

No one noticed when Gordon slipped out of the room.

* * *

Night had already settled on Tracy Island but Gordon remained seated by the upper pool, on one of the few chairs located inside the fenced in area. A "baby-free zone" he had laughingly called it.

Gordon could hear someone unlocking the fence but didn't turn around, not even when he felt someone sit down next to him. A cup of steaming hot coffee was pressed into his hands, making him turn slightly to see his father make himself comfortable.

"Come here often?" Jeff joked.

An aborted chuckle escaped Gordon who quickly took a sip of the brew.

"Not looking forward to another nephew?" Jeff asked his fourth son.

"Could be a second niece?" Gordon murmured.

"Nope," Jeff grinned. "John said they had an ultrasound today and it is definitely a boy. He was passing around the image."

"Perfect little family, huh?" Gordon sighed, looking at the three darkened villas across from the main house. "Perfect little lives – beautiful wives, beautiful babies, beautiful futures."

"Gordon," Jeff said in concern, placing a hand on Gordon's shoulder. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"

Sighing again, Gordon looked up at the stars. "I'm not enough anymore, Dad." Seeing Jeff's confusion, the redhead continued.

"Scott, John and Virgil all have lives of their own. They went off to college, became huge successes, found their perfect spouse and had babies of their own. We used to share everything. It was the Tracy Boys against the world. Woe be to any who crossed one, it meant you had to deal with all of us. But now I am alone – and it hurts."

"Alan's still single," Jeff argued.

Gordon chuckled darkly. "Alan hasn't been single since he was fourteen. If it hadn't been that he thought you would stroke out, he would have married Tin-Tin as soon as they were both of age. But he wouldn't do that. Nope. Alan does every freaking thing perfectly, doesn't he?"

"Gordon," Jeff said, stunned, unable to say anything else.

Biting his lip, Gordon looked over at his father. "Dad, I love Alan. You know that. But we used to be the terrible two – even with the five year gap, we were close. Then I had my accident, and heck – after that we were even closer. Alan is the reason I walked again, Dad. He never gave up on me and he wouldn't let me give up on myself."

Looking down, Gordon wiped at the tears of frustration that had popped up. "Then Grandma died and any question of Alan remaining on the Island died with her. He went to _that_ _school_," Gordon spat, still angry of what had happened there, "and he was never the same. _We_ were never the same."

"I had joined the Thunderbirds by the time he came home, remember? And when Alan came back, I knew something had happened. But you were mad at him and the others were teasing him…it was just easier to go along with it. After all, you would be sending him to another school but I had to stay here – why rock the boat?"

Gordon stood and began to pace. "Some son of a bitch molested my baby brother and he didn't feel like he could tell me. I know, he didn't feel any of us were listening but Dad – it was ME. His best bud, his other half…"

Stopping, Gordon took another sip of coffee before speaking again.

"Tomo listened. He was a better brother than me, than any of us. I had nightmares of the day the Hood came," Gordon abruptly switched gears, making Jeff chuckle sadly.

"We all had nightmares of that day, Gordon," Jeff sighed only for Gordon to shake his head.

"My nightmares were about that meal – the one when Alan first came home. He was so happy to see us, trying to talk to us and all we did was harass him and shut him down. _"Did you blow up another school, Alan? What did you do wrong now, Alan?"_ No wonder the kid left the table."

"I told him he needed to grow up," Jeff said sadly. "I didn't make sure he had eaten that night or even the next morning. Turns out he didn't. Alan couldn't eat when he got upset."

"What if those had been the last things we got to say to him, Dad?" Gordon asked, tears forming again. "Why didn't we try harder when we were making things up to him? We were given chance after chance and Alan never felt like he could trust us enough not to let him down again."

"So why not try now?" Jeff asked. "He's here and…"

Jeff stopped when Gordon pulled a folded up piece of paper from his back pocket and placed it on the table. Reading it, Jeff smiled. It was an article from Sports Illustrated, talking about Alan's winning track team at Harvard and its _"stand out Captain and potential Olympic star_" Alan Tracy.

"Are you upset that Alan didn't tell you about this?" Jeff asked. "He wanted to surprise you guys. The article isn't out until Monday's edition. How did you get this?"

"Friend of mine from the Olympics works for SI," Gordon said as he sat back down. "Sent me a copy of the article – I almost burnt it."

"Wha – why?" Jeff gasped.

"College?" Gordon shrugged. "The others all did that. Succeeding in finding love with Ms. Right instead of Ms. Right-now – four for four. Even athletics of some level or a special talent outside of one of the family businesses – check, Alan is right up there. But no one, none of the big three, ever went to the Olympics or an equivalent thereof. I was the Tracy who had done what no one else had and won an Olympic gold medal. Now Alan comes along – and he is perfect - scholar, student leader, athletic, perfect boyfriend, and the rest of the family talks about being a family again whenever he comes home. And what does he do to top it off – he has to take away the one thing that matters to me! Alan wants me to feel like yesterday's news and make sure everyone knows just how perfect he is!"

Gordon would have continued to rant but a quiet voice interrupted.

"Sorry, Gordo," Alan quietly said. Jeff and Gordon had been so focused that they never heard Alan pass the fence. The blonde set two slices of pie on the table and looked at his brother.

"I…I -" Alan stuttered, not sure what to say. He swallowed hard and looked at his father before shaking his head.

"I'm tired. It's been a rough couple of weeks. I'll be heading to bed now."

"Alan," Gordon said quickly, relieved when Alan paused at the gate. "It isn't that I don't love you…"

"You just don't like me very much," Alan said sadly before sending a small smile that didn't reach his eyes over his shoulder. "Yeah Gordo – I've been there with you guys before. I just thought we had gotten past that."

Alan was gone before either his father or brother could do anything.

"I never meant to hurt him, Dad," Gordon murmured.

Jeff stood, squeezing his son's shoulder in comfort. "None of us ever did. But you have to know Alan isn't considering the Olympics to take something from you. He would never do that. It's a different sport and I'm sure he thought that was enough to make it separate."

"It…it just…" Gordon sighed. "Dad, I screwed up again, didn't I?"

Jeff didn't answer, just giving his son a one armed hug. There really wasn't anything to say, was there?

* * *

Dawn arrived the next morning and the Tracys gathered on the lanai of the main house for breakfast.

"Tin-Tin," Gordon asked calmly. "Have you seen Alan lately?"

The Malaysian girl gave him a small frown. "Alan sleeps in the main house, not ours Gordon."

Gordon blushed as red as his hair. "I didn't mean that. But he isn't in his room."

"He's not?" John frowned. "I walked with him to his room last night. After he brought some dessert out to the two of you," he explained as he gestured to their father and Gordon.

"He went to bed early last night, didn't he?" Kate murmured as she tried to get DJ to burp.

"Alan had a migraine," John said holding up a hand when Sarah, Emily and Virgil all looked frantic.

"He had taken something for it after he ate. Just some over the counter stuff. He didn't feel like getting knocked out for the rest of his vacation."

Emily frowned at her husband. "John, Alan can have some pretty severe migraines. I know he doesn't like the side effects of the medication, but -"

"But it's my choice, Em," Alan said as he joined them, breathing lightly. "Sorry. I woke up a couple of hours ago and went for a run."

"Where did you run to - Mars?" Gordon chuckled.

"The South Docks," Alan said as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.

Several family members had been either eating or drinking at that moment and most of them choked briefly before regaining their wits. Emily was the first to speak.

"Sweetie – the South Docks are on the other side of the Island."

"Allie," John protested. "I did that run one time. It took me five hours round trip."

Alan shrugged. "Well, I got it done in three. You should try including some of the obstacles – rocks, fallen trees and stuff…cuts down on the distance if you aren't running around them."

Kate beamed at the young man she considered her little brother. "Way to go, kiddo. You're going to rock the Olympics."

Alan shrugged once more. "I'm not sure if I want to do the Olympics, Kate. I have a lot on my plate."

"Baby," Sarah said, sipping her tea in an effort to keep the nausea at bay. "You'd be great."

"Just because you can doesn't mean you should do something," Alan mused.

"That's usually because the something is bad, Alan," Scott argued. "Being in the Olympics wouldn't be bad. Why shouldn't you do it?'

"Not sure," Alan said as he took another sip of orange juice. "Can anyone think of any reason why I shouldn't?"

"Well," Gordon shrugged, "you don't want to fall behind in your classes, do you?"

"First off," Tin-Tin said, her glare making the red-head painfully aware that she knew something of the previous night's event. "Alan could have graduated this semester but chose to do some student teaching and an internship with Tracy Enterprises. Second, the Olympic Trials for the Track and Field team aren't until June – after Alan will graduate from Harvard. Alan could finish school and be in the Olympics if he wants to."

"Well, that is months away," Jeff injected, seeing Alan and Gordon were both still tense after the night before. "What I want to know is if everything is set for the holidays?"

Murmured agreements that everything was ready could be heard all around the table.

"Oh, Dad – we finalized the list of interns for the spring semester," Kate said. "I think you might find some keepers in this group."

Jeff smiled. "Well, I know we had some real keepers in the fall semester," he said, patting Alan's arm. "Joan in Boston couldn't say enough good things about this guy."

Alan smiled at his father. "Helps being the boss' son," Alan joked.

"Kiddo," Kate grinned. "I saw the reports. You did some good work. You have a real knack for doing upgrades and improvements, bringing together theory and real world needs perfectly."

"Tell me about it," Emily grinned. "The doctors in Auckland were floored at this device and the programming Alan did."

The family was all smiling again when Jeff looked at Kate.

"And Kate, I expect you to take on an intern this time. All the other VPs have. Time to step up, young lady."

Kate sighed and made a face. "Dadddddd."

Scott chuckled. "You sound like Alan – ten years ago, that it."

Everyone chuckled at that even as Kate flipped through the some records.

"Well, there is one student from Columbia…Janie…Jody…Judy…oh. Here it is – Julie Maxwell."

Looking around the table, she sighed. "I suppose she will do."

* * *

**_A/N - Yes, Gordon is still being a bit of an idiot. _**

**_Not sure if people are interested. It will be a slow start if I continue. But I need to be sure you want to read it. Not that I won't continue to write. Have to have something to e-mail Sammygirl1963._**


	3. Chapter 3

**Buried Emotions**

**_Disclaimer - see chapter one. Still liking that one._**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Alan sat on the bent tree that made up the "bench" in the small cove the family had long ago labeled as "Alan's Cove". Tin-Tin was resting between his legs, letting him play with her hair even as the soft ocean breeze ruffled both of their tresses.

Tin-Tin looked up and smiled at her boyfriend, before gently kissing him and laughing.

"What's so funny?" Alan asked even as he nuzzled at her neck.

"Has your father suggested a hair cut yet?" she teased as she twirled a blonde lock around her finger.

"I distracted him," Alan laughed. "I took him shopping with me."

"I thought you did most of your shopping on line and had it sent home."

Smiling, Alan kissed her again. "Well, part of it was shopping and part was getting something adjusted."

"Like what?"

"Your Christmas gift," Alan said smugly.

"So I can't find out until tomorrow morning?" Tin-Tin asked.

"Well…" Alan murmured. "Did you know it's a family tradition to open one small gift on Christmas Eve?"

"I know," she giggled. "We've been having Christmas together since we were ten."

"So maybe you should open this," Alan said, pulling a Tiffany's box out.

"Tiffany's?" Tin-Tin asked as she took the small signature blue box from Alan's hand. "Since when can anything from Tiffany's be called…small…"

Tin-Tin's voice trailed off after opening the box. Alan hastily explained.

"That was the ring my Grandpa Tracy gave Grandma. He was in the military and he had saved for months to get it. Grandma gave it to me before she died and said to give it to the girl whose face I wanted to see across the pillow every morning for the rest of my life. I had wondered why she had that silly smile on her face whenever she looked at the two of us arguing. But I think she knew what I wasn't ready to hear - that I had met the love of my life, someone to be my best friend and lover through thick and thin. Marry me, Tin-Tin."

"Yes," Tin-Tin whispered as she let Alan slip the ring onto her left hand. "It fits perfectly." Alan had bought her jewelry before but never a ring. "How did you get a perfect fit?"

"Your mom gave me one of your rings to have it fitted," Alan admitted.

"My mom knew?"

Alan grinned. "I asked for your parents' permission at Thanksgiving. I thought your mother was going to break my ribs with her hug."

"Your dad…"

"Went with me to pick up the ring," Alan assured her. "He is happy for us. Um…I may have kinda said we would remain in the main house, since he already let Gordon pick out the layout for his own place once Gordo finds a woman for more than a weekend."

"Is that his excuse?" Tin-Tin murmured before smiling. She'd let Jeff Tracy win this one.

The newly engage couple kissed for a few minutes before Tin-Tin asked, "Why here?" Seeing Alan's confusion, she clarified.

"Why propose to me here? Why not Boston or even in New York last night?"

Alan smiled. "Because this is where I fell in love with you. This is where I knew you were my soul mate. And this is where we'll spend our lives, raising our kids."

"A very good answer, Mr. Tracy," she murmured starting to kiss Alan only to have him pull back.

"PLEASE," Alan groaned. "Don't say that and kiss me. It sounds like you are making time with the old man."

"Well, he is rather handsome…" Tin-Tin teased, only to have Alan grab her around the waist and run into the water.

"ALAN!" she screeched, when Alan threatened to toss her into the tide.

"Say I'm better looking than my dad," Alan teased.

"You are so much hotter than your dad," Tin-Tin laughed, kissing him.

Unfortunately for Tin-Tin, the passionate kiss literally did make him weak in the knees and soon the two were lying in the surf as the ocean lazily drifted over them both. The two began to laugh before they picked themselves up and headed back to shore, holding hands all the way as they returned to the main compound.

* * *

As the couple cleared the last of the trees, they noticed everyone – including a newly arrived Lady Penelope and Parker – were gathered around the lanai.

Emily chuckled lightly. "Hey, Sarah – you and Tin are about the same size. Well…usually." Ignoring Sarah's glare at Emily's reference to her new baby bump, the tiny blonde laughed again. "Can you grab something for Tin-Tin? She'll be in our house showering before we head into the main house."

Steering the younger woman into the home she shared with John, Emily kept smiling even as her own husband had yanked his other blonde brother into the main house to shower and change. She had spotted the new piece of bling on her future sister-in-law's finger…and thought it would be best if the others didn't.

At least until after the kids had gone to bed.

* * *

John waited in his little brother's (little? The kid was over six feet and the tallest brother now!) suite for Alan to come out of the shower, smiling as he looked at the pictures that were tacked up over Alan's desk.

There were pictures with the family (especially his niece and nephews), pictures with Tin-Tin, one with Fermat from when Alan had visited the other boy in California, a few with some of his teammates from the Track Team, some older ones with Tomo or other Wharton's friends and…

John's hand froze as he took in the one picture. He had never seen it…

"That's a good picture of Mom, isn't it?" Alan asked with a careful air of casualness as he toweled off his hair.

"I've never seen it before," John admitted.

"I was never sure how to give it to you guys," Alan admitted. "I'm giving a copy of it to Dad for Christmas. It's actually as a really nice photo, I played around with it on the computer to get it to give a retro style – you know, muted image and colors and all. It looks cool."

"How did you get it?"

"You remember Helen Samuels? Well, she used to be Helen Manning?" Alan asked. When John nodded, Alan smiled.

"I got in contact with her after the avalanche to thank her." At John's slightly panicked look, Alan chuckled.

"You didn't watch any of the news stories, did you?" Alan missed the slightly green look on John's face as he pulled out some khakis and a polo shirt.

Shaking his head, John muttered, "It wasn't an appealing story to us."

Alan pulled on his khakis while he answered. "They kept bringing up the Tracy connection to that area. So it would be logical that I "discovered" that she had helped Scott rescue me back then and had tried to help save Mom. I called her to thank her, telling her I had never known who else had helped that day. We exchanged a few e-mails and she found that picture on an old zip drive when she was cleaning out her father's attic recently."

John looked startled. "Rocco Manning isn't..?"

Chuckling, Alan pushed his head through to adjust his shirt. "No, he's fine. He gave Helen and her husband the house just before their son was born – Dean Samuels the second. Rocco moved into a condo. Seems he decided a condo was better for his love life. The man has discovered the benefits of friends with benefits. You know – like Dad and Lady P."

"You…um, Alan, you know…"

"That Lady P and Dad are _very _close friends?" Alan laughed. "Yeah, for years. I even asked Parker once if I was the reason they never became more than that. He assured me it wasn't her reluctance to become an instant mom. It just wasn't the life for her. She likes the freedom that would be impossible to be if she were in a committed relationship."

As he sat down to pull on some loafers, Alan sighed. "But do yourself a favor…_never _surprise Dad when he thinks he'll be in New York by himself. Especially during Fashion Week."

"Let me guess," John sighed. "Lady P would never miss Fashion Week."

"And I can understand how Dad keeps up with everything," Alan sighed. "He has lots of stamina."

John rolled his eyes. He so didn't need to hear that.

"So what did Dad say when you surprised them?" he finally asked.

Alan sat for a moment. "I didn't mention it and they didn't see me. I slipped back out and went to stay with Ha Ha."

"Ha – oh, Ambassador Wattamee," John finally connected the dots.

Alan smiled a bit sadly. "She's retiring from the diplomatic corps and heading back to Japan, you know. Her brother had a heart attack and she is going to help run the family business until her nephew graduates college."

"I'm glad you've been able to help each other," John smiled. "I know it hasn't been easy, what happened to Tomo."

Looking at the pictures of Tomo over his desk, Alan nodded slowly. "Sarah asked if I would mind if they named this baby Thomas – they'll call him Tommy." A smile broke through. 'I told her Tomo would have loved it."

Alan had been the only person to call Tomo Tommy, but John knew his little brother's heart was finally starting to heal.

"You sure you don't want to save it for your own son, now that you and Tin are getting married?" John asked.

"You noticed? The ring? Or did Dad tell you?"

"The ring," John slowly said. "Dad knows? And he's not in a CICU?"

Rolling his eyes, Alan grumbled. "Dad isn't about to end up in cardiac unit just because I am getting married. And I promised him we were waiting until after we both graduate college."

"By how many days?" John teased.

"Tin would make a great June bride, don't you think?"

John laughed as he loped an arm over his brother's shoulders. "C'mon, Sprout. Let's go enjoy ourselves before Scott notices Grandma's ring on your gal's hand. Even with the new setting, all of the boys should recognize it. Then later, I need your help with my costume."

Alan leaned away to look at John. "Um…should that worry me?"

Sighing, John paused before they left the suite. "Little Bit is questioning how Santa can get everywhere he needs to. Emily's solution was to grab a Santa costume. Dad is having the kids spend the night in his suite so Elizabeth will see "Santa" slip past and…You know, this made a lot more sense when Emily and Sarah were coming up with it."

"Just roll with it," Alan shrugged. "Life can make more sense at times if you don't really think about it."

Nodding, John followed Alan out and wondered when Alan had become the sensible one. It made him a little sad…

Babies may grow up but that doesn't mean people who love them have to like it.

* * *

The family was gathered in the main room, music from the stereo playing a variety of Christmas Carols as everyone laughed and talked.

Jeff looked over his family and smiled. Through good times and bad, the Tracy loyalty to one and other had rung true. Catching Alan's eye as he sat beside Tin-Tin, Jeff raised an eyebrow and received an answering nod. Sighing slightly, the father knew he was happy for his son – Alan loved Tin-Tin and the girl made his baby happy…

But dammit, it was his baby!

Looking over at Kyrano and Onaha, he shared a brief smile. The couple had known Alan had planned to propose to their daughter and she had pulled them aside in the kitchen before the celebration had begun.

Standing, Jeff cleared his throat before he realized that something more was needed.

"Excuse me…"

"Excuse ME…"

A sharp whistle made everyone silent for a moment before they turned to stare at Emily. The tiny blonde blushed furiously, hiding her hand in the book she had been picking up as she ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Way to go, Em," Alan chuckled.

Jeff looked over his children by both blood and marriage, smiling at the grandchildren from only granddaughter, Elizabeth down to tiny DJ, dozing on his father's shoulder.

"I can still recall my first Christmas as a father. Scott was only about six weeks old, but Lucy insisted on a stocking and wrapped presents under the tree. I took so many pictures of that day but the ones I treasure most are forever in my heart. In time, Scott was joined by his brothers and I thought my life could never be richer or fuller."

Smiling at his daughters-in-law, he nodded at the three women. "Later, my three oldest would marry women who I am proud to call my daughters. Women who are not only perfect for each of my sons, but for our family. Women who have given us the treasures of immortality in my grandchildren, and the grandchildren yet to be born."

Looking at Alan and Tin-Tin, he nodded. "More than a decade ago, the Kyranos came to join us here and became a part of our family. Penny told me that one day Alan would realize why he fought so much with Tin-Tin…I had hoped they would be older than fourteen but you can't have everything."

The family chuckled, knowing how many times Jeff had worried over the couple falling in love so young.

"I couldn't love Tin-Tin more if she were my daughter," Jeff continued. "And today they have made the first step towards making that a reality. I am pleased to announce to the engagement of my son, Alan, to Tin-Tin Kyrano. May you be as happy as your brothers, Alan, because I know you have been as lucky in finding the perfect woman to marry."

"Seriously?" Sarah and Scott said at the same time. It should be noted that Sarah's was a delighted squeal while Scott's was far more appalled.

"Yes, seriously," Alan beamed, holding out Tin-Tin's hand to show the ring off.

"Oh, Allie," Sarah smiled. "Grandma Ruth's ring? And that setting is beautiful."

"Tiffany's does good work," Tin-Tin joked.

"And to think," Emily sighed to Sarah. "Our hubby's just bought us rings. Scott and Alan got to give ones with meaning."

Sarah giggled before kissing Virgil. She knew both brothers had selected the rings their wives wore because the stones reminded them of their wives eyes – Emily's midnight blue and Sarah's emerald green. Luckily, John and Virgil knew their wives were joking.

"Huh, if they don't like the stones, I guess that means no more matching jewelry for them, huh, Virg?" John joked in return.

"Nice try, Starman," Emily poked him in the side.

As the family began their congratulations and questions, Gordon was noticeably silent. Looking around he spotted Tomo watching him with a bit of sadness before moving closer to Alan in support.

Gordon finally stood and cleared his throat, gathering his family's attention quickly (much to Jeff's annoyance).

Raising his glass, Gordon gave a bittersweet smile. "To Alan and Tin-Tin – be as happy as you have always made this family. And give me new nephews to train in pranking!"

Everyone laughed even as the wives all gave small glares at the bachelor Tracy brother.

"He's blonde, Gordon," John laughed. "He may have a girl or two in the bunch."

"Samantha," Alan murmured, drawing curious looks. Glancing around the room, he shrugged. "I don't know – I just like the name."

"We'll keep that in mind," Tin-Tin laughed.

* * *

In a common room in Joliet Maximum Security Prison, two men sat side by side, exchanging small gifts made in the shops.

"I wish it could be more," Kyle Westcott whispered to his older half brother – the only family that meant anything to him.

Jack Mitchell clasped his younger brother's shoulder. God, he loved this kid. Kyle was the only person Jack had ever truly cared about besides himself. He had loved his late father, but despised him as a weak man. Jack had openly despised their mutual mother, seeing her as a selfish bitch who had never wanted either of her sons.

She hadn't either.

Kyle had hoped that with the deaths of his parents in a small plane crash a few months ago, he could access some of the money. But the courts had tied it up, with some people disputing he should inherit. His father had disowned him after Kyle was arrested in high school. But his mother hadn't. Oh, not because she had loved him or anything. She had simply forgotten to. And then the cancer had come.

In fact, it was yet another trip to another oncology specialist that the couple had been returning from when their plane was caught in a tornado outside of Illinois. The senior Westcott died on impact, but his wife had lingered for days afterwards. And since his father had died first, his will leaving everything to his wife had been activated.

"I have another gift for you, little brother," Jack whispered, ignoring the guard who was glaring at them for talking so long.

"Alan Tracy's head on a platter," Kyle muttered, looking at disgust at a four year old sports magazine that featured his old enemy.

"Close enough," Jack grinned. "We have a new ally. It will take a few months but in time, everything should fall into place. And I promise you, we will have our revenge."

Nodding, Kyle smiled at his brother before following him over to where some inmates were singing Christmas Carols.

_It's the most wonderful time of the year__  
__There'll be much mistltoeing__  
__And hearts will be glowing__  
__When love ones are near__  
__It's the most wonderful time of the year_

"_Or at least it will be soon,"_ Kyle thought darkly. "_Merry Christmas, Tracy – because it will be your last."_

* * *

**_A/N - Updated. OK?_**

**_Alan - Um, are you? You seem a bit cranky._**

**_CC - I guess. Um...Congrats on the enagament?_**

**_Alan - Thanks. But why did you make me catch my dad doing THAT?_**

**_CC - You'll survive. (mutters) I did. _**

**_Alan - Seriously?_**

**_CC - Yeah. I was at college in Providence (Rhode Island) and was supposed to catch the bus the next morning. Instead, some one in my last class mentioned his roommate - who was from Manchester, NH - was driving home and taking him, since he lived in nearby Goffstown. I said I was from Auburn - the next town over on the other side of Manchester. Dave's roommate had come up behind us and asked if I wanted a ride home. Hmm. Dinner in the college caf or at my parents. No brainer, right? They were trying to - along with Dave's girlfriend, a college exchange student who was spending Thanksgiving with them - talk me into going out for pizza after dropping off my bag. Seeing Mom's car in the driveway, I decided to run it past her. (No cell phones, folks - I was eighteen, close to the age my daughter is now) Instead, turns out Dad's car was in the shop and my folks were both home. And busy. Yes - BUSY._**

**_It was months before I would sit on the couch again. In my parents' defense, they thought no kids were home or due home until the next day. And I only told my parents about it a few years ago. Although mom had guessed._**

**_I had left my weekend bag in the kitchen before going out for pizza._**

**_Alan - So you are just working out childhood traumas with me, huh?_**

**_CC - Pretty much._**

**_Alan - I don't know whether to love you or hate you._**

**_CC - Hot chocolate and red velvet cake?_**

**_Alan - OK, love you._**

**_NOW - I'd like to apologize, I haven't gotten to everyone's reviews. Thanks for them, they were the highlights of my week. But something is going on, and I haven't told most people, like if I don't say it, it will be ok._**

**_My mom has been undergoing some testing, they think she may have cancer. Saying it - or writing it - is tearing me apart because it feels like by acknowledging it, it will make it happen. When Daddy was diagnosed in April 2008, he fought. God, how he fought. He was given five to six months but lasted until November of 2012. Today would have been his birthday. So it is painfully ironic that Mama is undergoing testing today to see if she also has cancer. One reason I say that is because there was no real history of cancer in my family until my father. TONS of heart disease but no cancer. And this is all coming about so quickly. Monday, Mama went to the doctor because she has been feeling poorly. They sent her for an MRI late Monday then called her Tuesday morning to come back in - and to bring a family member with her. Today they are doing some exploritory testing. My older sister is there. She said she is worried I would fall apart if the news is bad._**

**_She's right. I would. That's not just my mother, she's one of my best friends. Daddy was my hero but Mom..._**

**_Reviews would be nice but prayers are what I am really asking for. I'd love a miracle but mainly I just need the stregnth. And I just don't know if I have it in me. - CC_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Buried Emotions**

_**Disclaimer - See Chapter One because I am still liking that one.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Early May (so about four and a half months later)**_

Kate Tracy laughed even as she completed a report. The report wasn't fun but her father's story about the latest antics of her niece (courtesy of her brother, Danny) was hilarious.

"She didn't?" Kate chuckled.

"_What can I say?" _Don Eppes laughed. _"She's a handful – just like her auntie."_

"Oh? I didn't know Amelia had a sister," Kate teased.

"_So – are you still going to be in Kansas next month?"_

"Yes, Dad," Kate said before calling "enter" to a knock on her door. "And Alan and Tin-Tin are planning on their wedding in Bailey. The church where Jeff and Lucy were married has been renovated and Alan thought it would be great." Actually, Alan and Tin-Tin had wanted a family-only wedding on the north beach of the island, but had been talked into "something better". This was their compromise.

"_Well, your mother and I are going to be in Kansas City the first weekend in June. David's daughter is getting married. I know you have meetings and are trying to help Alan since his wedding is only two weeks after that. So I thought your mom and I could take the boys for most of the weekend. You did say DJ is, um, he's"_

"Yeah, Dad, I've stopped breastfeeding," Kate confirmed as she smiled, accepting a data pad from Julie Maxwell. The intern took it back once Kate had signed and moved to leave before Kate waved her back and towards a seat.

"_Yes, that," _Don groaned. He really didn't need to think about that and his baby girl. Frankly, Don would have liked to pretend his daughter was still an innocent virgin.

Forget that she was now thirty and the mother of two.

"I don't know, Dad," Kate hesitated. "You sure you and mom are up to that?"

"_We raised you three just fine."_

"Yes, Dad," Kate sighed. "And you were thirty years younger. OK, tell you what. Several of us are staying at a hotel on the edge of Bailey. I'll reserve a room for you close to us and that way if the terrible two start driving you nuts, you can toss them back."

"_What happened to them being your little angels?"_

"They spent too much time with Uncle Gordon," Kate muttered before saying her goodbyes to her father.

Kate turned to say something to Julie when a new voice was suddenly heard.

"Is someone taking my name in vain?

Both women turned to the door where Gordon Tracy was leaning against the frame.

"Gordon," Kate said in surprise, rising. "What are you doing here?"

Kate's surprise was genuine. She was fairly sure he wasn't dating anyone from this office.

At least not currently. And Gordon never liked re-runs.

Gordon held out a folder. "Dad asked me to run these over. Something about a client who is a real techno-phobe."

"Monsieur Devereux does not trust modern technology," Julie said primly. "He prefers what he can see and touch."

"Which is one reason why his business is in so much trouble and why Tracy Enterprises in negotiating a buy-out," Kate sighed. It was a good business and a valuable supplier for raw material in Europe but she tended to be a bit more cynical. If Jeff had been willing to wait a couple of more months, they could have negotiated a better price for the company. But Jeff held a more global community view than his daughter-in-law. He felt that buying now at a higher price would keep Devereux Textiles more respected and would pay off in the long run.

"And you are?" Gordon smoothly asked Julie.

"Late for her afternoon classes if she doesn't hurry," Kate said firmly.

Gordon snatched up Julie's hand as she passed by. "I can guess who you are – Julie Maxwell, the intern that Kate is already making sure she won't have to give up."

Julie blushed charmingly. "I am learning a great deal from Madame Tracy," Julie gushed with a slight French accent.

"Notice she is not learning to call me Kate," the other woman sighed before looking back over at Julie "I'll see you in the morning," Kate said firmly, countering an earlier comment of wanting Julie to come back after dinner to review some contracts.

She gave Julie a small nod when the intern looked at her strangely.

With a small sigh, Julie nodded in return. The college student was a huge fan of Gordon Tracy – well, of his swimming career.

When the door closed behind the intern, Gordon gave Kate an annoyed look. "What the hell was that about?"

"She's a good girl, Gordon," Kate said firmly. "The kind you marry not the kind you make a flavor of the week."

"She'd be good for at least a month," Gordon laughed before he saw the glare Kate was giving him.

"Do you know of her educational background?"

"Um," Gordon thought about a few conversations he had overheard since January. "Columbia, dual major of business and electronic science, now working on her masters."

"For college, yes," Kate admitted. "She will be twenty-one June 2nd. She started college at sixteen after ten years at a Convent School."

Gordon's eyes went wide. "I didn't think they still had those."

Kate shrugged. "They do in France. And now she either goes to school, comes here or swims."

"She swims?" Gordon asked in amazement.

Kate nodded. "It was, from what little she said, one reason her stepfather brought her back from France. He's Cedric Maxwell."

"The sports promoter?" Gordon asked.

"Her coach in France put her in some competitions. Maxwell wasn't about to think it looked good for his stepdaughter to be swimming for another country."

"Where does she swim?"

"Gordon!" Kate said sharply. "She is a good girl, back off."

Gordon looked like he wanted to say something before he stepped back. "Listen, where's Dad?"

Kate sat back down, gesturing upstairs.

"In the penthouse. I was supposed to join them for lunch. You can give my regrets – and bring me back a plate."

Gordon headed for the elevator, pressing a palm print to get access to the penthouse that was his family's New York home. He wondered briefly who was joining his father for lunch.

And he hoped his father had ordered out.

* * *

"Dad?" Alan called out. "What kind of dressing do you want for the salad?"

"Ranch is fine," Jeff replied from his bedroom.

Alan continued to set up the meal on the patio. It was such a perfect New York spring day…

Hearing the front door open, Alan turned with a smile. He had been hoping that Kate would join them for lunch…

"Gordon?" Alan asked in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Gordon," Jeff sighed in relief as he entered the living room. "Do you have those files?"

"Right here, Dad," Gordon said, eyeing his younger brother oddly. "Sprout? What are you doing here? Don't you have classes?"

"Better research facilities," Jeff absently explained as he looked over the files. "Alan has permission from Harvard to do his testing for his engineering final project down here. It's ninety percent of his grade. And he is doing tele-classes this week."

"I have to video record most of the field testing for my professor as documentation but I finished this morning. And I don't have Friday classes this semester. Well, one lit class but that is the one where we have to complete an outline of a novel and certain other points as if selling a book."

"How is that one coming?" Jeff asked as he made some notes, setting everything up to call Mr. Devereux after lunch.

Alan shrugged, then gave a small smile. "I finished it by spring break. Not just an outline but a whole book. I showed it to John and he sent it to his publisher. I was going to wait until Father's Day, but…" Alan pulled out a book from his backpack on the couch.

Jeff took the book from his youngest son's hands with delight. "Allie! Your first book! That's fantastic, isn't it Gordon?"

Gordon was frozen for a minute before he smiled as well. "Yeah, Sprout. Amazing. Wow." Looking towards the table, he smiled more easily.

"So what's for lunch and how did you know I'd be here?"

Alan blushed slightly. "Actually, I hoped Kate would change her mind. But there's plenty…I better set aside a plate for Kate. She loves spaghetti carbonara."

Gordon inhaled deeply. "Smells awesome. Garlic bread, too?" he asked as he snagged a piece and took a bite. "Delish!"

"Thanks," Alan murmured.

Gordon looked confused before he asked, "Where did you order from?"

"Order?" Alan chuckled. "Nah, I made everything."

The chewing stopped suddenly as the bread lost all flavor in his mouth. Gordon eyed his younger brother. "You cook too? I mean, not just basics, but like this?"

Alan smiled. "Onaha taught me the basics. And if I wanted to stay in good shape, I learned to cook healthy a long time ago. Otherwise the dreaded Freshman Fifteen would be haunting me."

Jeff laughed as he locked up the reports and contracts. "Kate gets Alan to cook whenever he comes down here and freeze food for her so that she isn't as dependent on take out when she comes to New York."

"It's healthier, Dad," Alan laughed. "Not Kate being lazy."

"You say potato…"

As the three Tracy men sat down around the table, Gordon filled his plate and took a bite. "Wow. Great, little brother. Is there anything you can't do?"

Alan looked at Gordon in confusion while Jeff cast a warning look at his fourth son. Alan had accepted the half-hearted apology that Gordon had given him at Christmas, seeming to go with the old adage of "less said, soonest mended".

"How's the work going on the underwater retrieval system?" Alan asked between bites.

"Pretty well," Gordon admitted. "I think I worked out the kinks. Dad, will you have time to go over them?"

"I'll take a look later," Jeff said just as his phone rang. Standing up, he moved away from the table to answer it.

"Tracy. What?"

Looking over at Alan, Jeff paled slightly as he hung up.

"Allie, stay in the penthouse. Gordon – please, stay here with your brother. Family rules."

With that said, the frantic father ran out of the penthouse, leaving behind two confused sons. Gordon waved to Alan to continue eating, picking up on the rule…

_Watch out for your brother._

* * *

David Sinclair sighed as he watched Kate Eppes Tracy frantically move about the office. Daria Delgado merely raised an eyebrow and tried not to laugh. She had warned AD Sinclair that Eppsie would freak out.

Just because the Assistant Director for the Midwest had known her since before she had been born - Literally.

"So was Director Eppes really as bad as Eppsie?" Daria asked casually.

"Don had his moments," David sighed again.

Before David could say anything, the door burst open and a frantic Jeff Tracy stormed in. Daria raised an eyebrow again as she looked him over and pushed down a grin. Damn, the man looked good for his age. Especially in those jeans and polo shirt, similar to what he had been wearing the first time Daria had met him.

Come to think of it, that had been about Alan as well.

"Mr. Tracy," David said firmly, standing up and holding out a hand to Jeff. "I'm Assistant Director David Sinclair of the FBI, we met at Scott and Kate's wedding."

Jeff turned and absently shook David's hand but before he could say anything Jeff spotted Daria.

"Agent Delgado," he sighed in relief. "Can you please tell me what is going on?"

"I'll tell you what is going on," Kate snapped. "They lost two dangerous criminals who are a threat to Alan!"

"We didn't lose them, Kate," David groaned.

"Are they in prison where they can't hurt Alan?" Kate yelled.

"They did manage to escape," David admitted.

"And you tell Dad when?" Kate growled.

David looked confused until Daria nudged him. "Father-in-law, not father," she whispered.

"Yes, well…"

"Three days ago, Dad?" Kate yelled. "Those sons-of-a-bitch have been on the loose for three days."

"Wait," Jeff said in confusion. "You said Kyle Westcott had escaped from prison."

"And Jack Mitchell," Daria admitted. "The prison system had reported that they had become friends. It was only after they had escaped that one of the snitches on their cell block revealed that they were brothers. The late Mrs. Westcott had buried a great deal about her first marriage – including the son she abandoned."

"Jack Mitchell never had a personal grudge against Alan," Jeff said, confusion plain in his voice.

"Until Westcott went to prison based on a case partially built by Alan," Kate grumbled. "Then Alan was at fault for everything that "poor baby" suffered."

"How did they escape?" Jeff asked.

"We are currently investigating that…" David started only to have Kate cut him off.

"Translation – they have no clue, which is why they didn't admit it for three freaking days!" Kate yelled.

"Kate," David tried to calm the woman only to have her go off again.

"No ! Alan has been walking around the city for days. DAYS. With no one keeping an eye on him."

"Kate," Daria said in a soothing tone. "Alan is twenty one years old, not twenty one months old. And it's my opinion that most of your family can handle themselves."

Kate glared at her friend. Yes, Daria knew about the other "family business" but David didn't…

"Against most people, yes," Kate said with false calmness. "But you are talking about a couple of killers here."

"Actually, as far as we know, Mitchell never killed anyone," David injected.

"But he had no problem standing by while others were hurt," Jeff said fiercely. "I was there when he let that monster touch my boy. He would have let him do a lot more, and not care a bit, just because Alan was my son. Now you are telling me that Westcott is his brother and apparently the only person he really cares about. And Westcott hates Alan – he wants him dead. Worse, he wants Alan to suffer as much as possible before he kills him."

"Would it be possible to get Alan to go back to the Island?" Daria asked.

A new voice suddenly entered the conversation.

"No, it wouldn't," Alan said firmly, entering the office from a side door – one that connected to an outer hallway, leading to the family's private residence.

Alan stood his ground while Gordon looked annoyed – and obviously still hungry as he ate another slice of garlic bread.

"I am weeks away from graduating from Harvard," Alan said firmly. "I have a major track meet next week – not for school, that's finished for the year. But this is a fundraiser for a project near and dear to my heart. I have a life and those two idiots are not taking it from me…in _any _fashion, Dad," Alan quickly added the end of his sentence when he saw Jeff was about to object out of fear that the two escaped criminals wanted to do that – take Alan's life.

"I won't go anywhere alone, I'll make sure my security system at the condo is always on-line and I'll keep the watch on me at all times," Alan assured his father.

"Watch?" David said in confusion.

The Tracys froze, having forgotten that there was someone in the room not in on the secret. Kate recovered first.

"The watches that the family is beta testing for Tracy Enterprises," Kate said with a smile. "Wrist communicators and personal security system combined." She pressed a small side button and the sound could be heard on the other watches.

"Cool," David grinned. "Just like Dick Tracy, huh?"

"Huh?" Gordon said in confusion. "We don't have any relatives named Dick, do we?"

Alan sighed. "C'mon, Nemo. I have a tiramisu upstairs. Come on up and I'll tell you all about Dick Tracy and how much better looking our clan is. Especially in noses. And better taste in clothes. And seriously, Dude – do you ever read anything except sports magazines?'

Gordon and Alan were almost out of the room when Kate began to speak. Alan turned and coolly responded, "No, Kate. I'm twenty-one years old and I can make my own decisions. And my chief decision is not to let fear rule my life. I will be responsible and take all due precautions. But I will not hide myself away and stop living. As one of my favorite films said, "_Get busy living or get busy dying._" I have no intention of dying, so I'll just start living."

That said, Alan turned and left the room. David turned to Jeff, and desperately said, "Mr. Tracy, can't you do something?"

Jeff gave a bittersweet smile. "No. As Alan said, he's an adult – a trustworthy and responsible one at that. There isn't much I can do at this point. You, however, can catch those two and throw them back in prison before they can hurt my son again."

Gordon, who had lingered behind when Alan had left, quickly turned to catch up to his younger brother. Jeff joined his two sons at the elevator and as the doors opened, he turned and looked at Gordon, exchanging a small nod. Gordon smiled, letting his father know – message received and processed: protect your brother.

Once her family was gone, Kate moved around the desk, propping her hands up and glaring at two people she usually was very fond of.

"Alan has just a few weeks left of college. The first weekend in June, we'll be in Kansas, planning for his wedding. I'll let the sheriff know so she can keep an eye out for strangers. Jeannie Landman knows everyone in the entire county, forget just Bailey. And she's a family friend, she'll be taking this personally. So get those bastards before they can hurt Alan again."

"Kate," David assured her, "we are going to do everything we can, trust me."

"I do trust you," Kate said with a cold smile. "But if they hurt Alan, Scott will not be pleased. Nor will John – you have to watch out for the quiet ones – Virgil or Gordon. And that will be nothing compared to the Tracy daughters. I can assure you, they will suffer tenfold for any hurts inflicted on our boy. And there will be no remains for the authorities to find. My. Vow. To. God."

Kate showed them out as Julie came back in, handing Kate a stack of files.

At the elevator, David muttered, "She's way too much like her father sometimes."

"Actually," Daria said with what David wondered if it wasn't misplaced cheerfulness, "she's worse. Trust me."

Getting on the elevator, David sighed. Yeah. He could believe that.

* * *

**Author's note:**

**Sorry for the extended silence. First let me say, I appreciate the prayers, warm thoughts and outpouring of support. With the rare exception, fan fic readers are some of the best people I know.**

**The tests for Mom's cancer came back as positive and they are beginning chemo as soon as possible. This will not save her life but may extend it and give her some quality of life. If my writing is delayed or reviews are not answered, I apologize in advance. But my family comes before everything else.**

**I have been pretty lucky in my parents. My dad was my hero, the one person I turned to first on all important decisions. To this day I still find myself thinking "I should talk this over with Daddy." And Mom? I am proud to say my mom is one of my best friends. The day the cancer (stage four colon cancer, having spread to her right lung and her liver) was confirmed, I did the whole "stay strong and carry on" until I got back to my desk at work...and proceeded to break down. My boss sent me home and I had forgotten my daughter had semester finals that week. So I had to explain to my little girl (I don't care if she is a sophmore in high school, she'll always be my baby) that Grammy has cancer. Having lost her beloved Poppy to cancer just fourteen months earlier, she was of course devastated. After a good long cry, she told me "Well, we'll just have to show her how much we love her for as long as God let's us have her, right?"**

**I have an amazing kid.**

**SO - when it is what I like to call "a dark day", I may not write much. Otherwise, I might kill someone. In my writing only. It's too messy in real life.**

**Take care and I hope to on a semi-regular schedule again soon. ~CC**


	5. Chapter 5

**Buried Emotions**

_**Disclaimer – see chapter one. Think I may come up with a new one for chapter six.**_

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Alan stretched, rotating his neck to work out a kink. All of the athletes participating in what was being touted as a preview of the US Olympic team were thoroughly enjoying themselves and the money being raised for the New Hope Shelter in Boston had already beat Alan's goal.

"Bon jour, Allaine," a cheerful voice greeted the youngest Tracy son.

Alan looked up and smiled at Julie Maxwell as she entered the area. The tiny swimmer had offered to give a demonstration when Kate had suggested it.

"How's it going, Jules?" Alan said with a smirk.

Julie gave a small frown as she ruffled her shoulder length caramel colored hair with a towel. "My name is Julie, not Jules."

"And mine is Alan," he teased in return.

Julie gave a small blush. "Sorry, Alan. I often forget and lapse into French, especially if I know someone understands me."

"So," Alan mused as he checked his running shoes. "I hear you finally agreed to go out with Gordon. How did that go?"

"Well," Julie cheerfully answered, "I did not need the whip and chair Madame Tracy…um, I mean, Kate, had offered me."

Alan roared with laughter. "Yeah, Gordon has gotten a bit of a playboy reputation. And he's never had to work so hard to get someone to agree to go out with him. You've been a bit of a challenge to him."

"Well," Julie retorted with a smirk of her own, "as Sister Therese used to tell us, nothing worth having is just given to you. You must work for it."

Standing back up, Alan nodded. "Sounds like the good Sister and my dad would get along great. So," he said, changing the subject. "Where did you go?"

"The aquarium," Julie smiled. "It reminded me of school trips when I was supervising the little ones. Gordon is very sweet but…"

"Not the most mature Tracy brother?" Alan sighed. "Yeah, it's part of his charm, I guess. But Gordon seems to feel he has to get in as much living as he can. After the accident, I can't blame him I suppose."

"Yet according to Kate, you have been through traumas as well, and it seems to have had the opposite effect," Julie challenged. "You became more mature, more responsible."

"Yeah," Alan mused. "But I've had my own pain in the ass moments."

Seeing the doubts on Julie's face, Alan patted the arm of a girl he was quickly becoming friends with. "All I ask is give Gordy a chance. He can be a really great guy and with the right woman, the Player Tracy will be gone and you'll have another Tracy Man, happy and devoted to hearth and home."

"I will give him a chance," Julie agreed. "But he will not find me one of his good time girls."

Alan grinned as he left the room but added over his shoulder.

"Julie, if he thought you were, he wouldn't be trying so hard. He must think that you are worth it."

Both Julie and Alan smiled for the rest of the day.

* * *

Gordon Tracy typed up the prospectus, making rapid notes. He was absorbed in the project, and didn't even see Emily watching him carefully.

Crossing the lanai, Emily sat carefully in the chair next to Gordon, finally getting his attention.

"Hey," Gordon smiled at her. "How are you feeling?"

Emily moved about in the chair, trying to raise her feet before Gordon stood up, lifting her feet and setting them on another chair.

"Tired," Emily admitted. "But don't tell your brother that."

Gordon chuckled. John would be coming down in the next week. After the graduations and Alan's wedding, the Hackenbackers would be going up to Thunderbird Five for the summer before Fermat headed off to Europe for his graduate studies. Gordon knew his older brother worried about Emily's higher risk pregnancy but so far, so good…

Knock on wood.

"So how's my newest nephew?" Gordon asked.

"Much quieter than his sister was," Emily smiled. Unlike when she had ultrasounds with Elizabeth, it was clear from the scans that this was Keith Tracy…which was good because she and John couldn't agree on a girl's name.

"And my other newest nephew?" he questioned, gesturing from the house where he knew Sarah Jane had taken Tommy for his one month check-up earlier.

Emily sighed. "Fine. Hale and hearty and being spoiled by his grandfather at the moment. Sarah is heading back to work starting today."

"So soon?" Gordon asked. Sarah hadn't gone back to work after Michael's birth until the baby was almost two months.

"With me now being on extended maternity leave, she felt that it was best that she head back to work since Tommy is doing so well with the bottle."

"Well, formula isn't as good for babies, is it?" Gordon mused as he started typing again.

Emily chuckled. "Says the bachelor uncle. But no worries, Sarah pumped enough milk to take care of Tommy until she gets home."

Gordon stood suddenly, grabbing his empty water bottle. "Ugh. Please – put that under things I never want to know about my sisters-in-law."

Laughing, Emily called to a retreating Gordon, "Can you bring me some coffee?"

"I'll get you some green tea," Gordon yelled back. "I am not risking the wrath of Onaha."

Emily sighed before chuckling again. She missed her coffee but what she would miss more was the reactions she could get from the only Tracy brother who had no concerns of parenting…Even Alan was thinking about it as his wedding day approached. Although - that could change if Dad and Kate were right about Gordon's pursuit of Julie Maxwell.

A wave of dizziness came and went quickly, making Emily sigh as she checked her monitor. It was a small spike but she knew a call from her OB would soon follow. The green tea was actually starting to sound good.

Smiling, she rubbed her stomach. "Don't worry, baby. Mommy knows you will be worth everything."

Yeah. Everything would be fine. Emily smiled for the rest of the day, keeping that thought in her mind.

* * *

Jeannie Bates Landman, sat back down at her desk with a small sigh. There were times that sitting at this desk, in this office, felt right. God knows she had worked her life with the goal of being Sheriff of Bailey – not that lofty a goal in the eyes of many but everything to a woman who was descended from the original Bertha Bailey, the town founder. Yes, Bailey had been founded by a woman, the town having grown up around the Bailey Trading Post. Bertha had been headed west with her husband, but when he died just west of Kansas City it was deemed improper for an "unaccompanied woman" to be in the wagon train. The train had abandoned Bertha, now five months pregnant, with her wagon and some extra supplies, expecting her to turn around.

Bertha had rarely done what was expected of her.

Instead, she made a small home and friends of some local Native Americans. Trappers who combed the local foothills discovered she made good food and was an honest business woman. By the time her son, named Joseph for his father, was born, Bertha had a full running Trading Post. Others began to settle around her and when they named the town, Bertha nearly cried when the townspeople said to just drop "Trading Post" – heck, everyone knew it as Bailey, anyhow, right?

Bailey never grew big or influential, it was too much of a farming community. But it did boast being the hometown of Jeff Tracy as well as the birthplace of Tracy Enterprises.

Technically, no Tracy lived here anymore, but they did still own property and occasionally came around.

Picking up the invitation on her desk, Jeannie smiled. "Little Allie," she murmured.

"Who?'

Jean looked up with a frown before sighing. "Dutton," Jean muttered. "What are you doing here?" One of Jean's deputies, Keifer Dutton (unfortunately also her cousin by marriage), was standing in the doorway to her office.

"I came to see if the schedule is out for next month," Keifer said imperiously.

Shaking her head, Jean leaned back in her chair. "If you checked your e-mail, you'd see I sent you a copy over the weekend. Not sure why. No one is on vacation until July, so all the schedules are basically the same."

"So you are still isolating me on third shift?" Keifer snapped.

Smiling coolly, Jean nodded. "It's where you can do the least harm."

"I deserve better," he growled.

"Feel free to seek employment elsewhere," Jean grinned, silently praying he would take her up on that.

"We both know I should have been made Sheriff when Amos bought the farm," Keifer callously said.

Jean froze. Amos Taylor had not only been her boss, he had been a surrogate father to the little girl after Millie Bates had returned to Bailey after the death of her husband, a New York City police officer. Everyone knew it had been the old lawman's dearest wish that Jeannie would take his place as Sheriff some day. When he had named her interim Sheriff – even six months pregnant – after he had a stroke the year before, Keifer had been the only person in Bailey who had disagreed. And no matter what the Town Council had said, Jeannie refused to make it permanent as long as Amos was on "sick leave", returning to the job less than a week after her son, Charlie, was born. It was only just over a month later, when Charlie was six weeks old, and Amos had passed on, that Jean agreed to take the job.

If only to get Keifer to stop annoying people with his campaigning for the position.

"You might know it, Dutton," Jean coldly snapped. "But thankfully no one else in Bailey did. Including your own Daddy."

Jean knew that was hitting below the belt, but losing Amos was still a pain in her heart that had yet to heal.

Keifer glared at her once more before starting to turn away. Jean called out after him.

"I need your reports in my in-box by Wednesday, Dutton. And make sure you go over those wanted posters."

Jean wasn't sure why they still called them that. They didn't receive sheets with criminals posted on them any more – it referred to a program that was downloaded weekly, with emergency updates as needed.

"Anyone in particular, Sheriff," Keifer said with an air of disinterest.

Jean looked up. "I want to make sure the entire department keeps an eye out for two escapees from Joliet. They have a history of violence against the Tracy Family and the Tracys will be here soon."

"For what? Something else to honor the perfect Tracys?" Dutton sneered.

Sighing, Jean handed over the wedding invitation. When the deputy gave it back, she explained.

"The Congregational Church has been renovated and placed on the State's Historic Registry. In celebration, and since his parents were married there, Alan Tracy has decided to get married there as well. The ceremony will be pretty private but Mr. Tracy has leased out the Grange Hall for the reception. Most of Bailey is invited to that."

Gesturing to the invitation, Dutton snapped. "But I see you and my cousin merit a full invite."

Shrugging, Jean grinned. "I have been friends with Scotty since we were kids. And he is Charlie's godfather. And I did help save Allie during those tornadoes a few years back. You remember…when you nearly arrested the kid for driving his daddy's rental car?"

Dutton glared at Jean. He had never liked the Tracys but that incident had been a ribbing point for months afterwards. Frankly, he still believed if he had been the one to save the youngest Tracy son, he would be sitting in that seat even now.

As Dutton walked away, Jean called after him once more.

"And don't be late for your shift again tonight, Keifer, or I will be writing you up. Again."

Stalking away, Dutton continued to curse Jeannie Bates, the Tracys and even his own father under his breath. They would regret this. He would make sure of it.

And then everything would be perfect.

* * *

Kate Tracy thumbed through the final contracts for the sale of Pierre Devereux' business to Tracy Enterprises. She knew Dad had reviewed it, legal had reviewed it, acquisitions had reviewed it…

Hell, she just wanted to keep as busy as possible.

The phone rang and Kate glanced down, smiling as she picked up the receiver.

"Mom! What's up?"

"We just received the invitation to Alan's wedding, Kate," Robin Eppes responded. "They are absolutely lovely."

Kate smiled again. "That would be Emily's doing. She is throwing herself whole-heartedly into the wedding plans since she was told to stop working. Says it keeps her mind busy."

"I'm sure she'll be happy to see the results of her hard work."

Frowning, Kate shook her head before realizing she wasn't talking on a vid phone.

"Emily won't be there," Kate sighed. "The doctors don't want her to fly. So we are rigging up video gear so she and John can watch. Especially since Elizabeth will be the flower girl."

"Oh, that's too bad. Well, we'll see you in two weeks."

Kate nodded before smacking her head with her hand. She really needed to get her parents a vid phone.

"Alan and I will be flying out to Kansas right after his graduation. Tin-Tin graduates the day before and right after Alan's ceremony, she is flying home since her mother is making her dress."

"Sounds good. My grandsons will be there, right?"

Laughing, Kate nodded. "Yes, Mom. And Elizabeth as well. She and Jason are usually joined at the hip when they aren't trying to start World War Three."

Robin Eppes laughed and murmured something about "that's family". Mother and daughter said goodbye and Kate began to pick through another report. These things needed to get done so she could focus on Alan and Kansas. She froze for a moment when a cold chill went down her spine.

Sitting upright, Kate found her eyes drifting to a picture taken at Christmas. Alan was there, his arms wrapped around Tin-Tin, her left hand – proudly displaying her engagement ring – resting on Alan's arm. The young couple looked so happy, like they had everything they had ever wanted, like life was perfect…

Worrying her lower lip, Kate took a sip of now cold coffee to still her nerves. Everything was going to be alright.

Right?

* * *

Jack Mitchell watched his younger brother with worried eyes. They were sitting in the corner of McDonald's, using the free Wi-Fi on a laptop they had stolen shortly after their escape from Joliet. With the might of the FBI – and, Mitchell was sure, Jeff Tracy's money – they had not made much progress. In the weeks since they had escaped, they had only made it to Des Moines, Iowa. Not all that far but at least they were free.

"So how do we get to Boston?" Mitchell muttered to Kyle. So far they had made their way mainly on highways, hiding in the back of trucks at rest stops.

"When we get to Omaha," Kyle said, "I just have to get to the Greyhound station. Our friend said money would be waiting for us at a locker in the terminal."

"Who is this friend, anyhow?" Mitchell grumbled. In his experience, no one got anything for free.

"Not sure," Kyle smirked. "But so far our friend has gotten us our freedom and soon we get our money."

"Why Omaha?" Mitchell sighed. "That is heading backwards. We need to go east. Our goal," he hissed, aware of the potential for someone to overhear them, "is in Boston. Maybe New York but probably Boston."

Kyle shook his head. "In the last e-mail, our friend said to stay in the mid-west. And now I know why." Clicking on a link, he turned the monitor so that Mitchell could watch as well.

"_This is Ana Nevada, for American Cable News. The latest doings of the rich and famous highlights the American Royalty that is the Tracys. As many viewers are aware, Billionaire Jeff Tracy has five sons, three married with children, Gordon the carefree playboy and the baby, Alan, who has been with his long-time sweetheart since the couple were little more than babes in arms. Alan, twenty, is set to graduate from Harvard University soon and will be joining his brothers in working for the family business. In addition, the dashingly handsome young man is about to publish his first book according to White Knight Publishing and may even become the second Tracy son to compete for Gold in the Olympics. But the true newsworthy event is his upcoming marriage to his aforementioned sweetheart. In true Americana romanticism, Alan will marry his girlfriend in the same church his parents were married in more than thirty years ago. The classic clapboard church, in Jeff Tracy's hometown of Bailey, Kansas, was recently declared a historical landmark and the town is celebrating with the return of their favorite sons and the marriage of Alan Tracy. And if the rest of you are keeping score, that leaves only Gordon Tracy to be bagged and tagged, ladies."_

The segment faded into a commercial, saying the next video would start in thirteen seconds, but Kyle was already closing the laptop.

"They'd expect us on the east coast," Kyle smirked. "But who would expect anything bad to happen in All-American Bailey, Kansas?"

Mitchell smiled and nodded at his kid brother before taken a bite of his now cold Quarter Pounder. "Good call, Kyle. But we'll need to be flexible. We are only going to get one chance at this."

Kyle smiled coldly. He could still recall Jack asking him if they would grab Alan Tracy for money from his father or kill the other boy outright. Kyle had merely grinned and asked "Why not both?"

But it had to be clever. It had to be sheer torture for the Golden Boy, Alan Tracy. Pure agony for the entire Tracy family. Only then could the brothers be able to move forward.

This was going to be perfect.

_**A/N – Will start up convos again soon and really hoping I can start answering reviews. Thank you so much for them and your words of support. Mama started chemo this week. I guess doctors appointments and such are once more becoming my new normal. Yeah – it bites. But I am starting to write again. Even wrote a one shot for Agents of SHIELD. May post later. **_

_**Oh yeah - and Ana Banana still can't get Alan's age right, can she?**_

_**Laters folks. Love you all and I am so grateful for your support. CC**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Buried Emotions**

_**Disclaimer - Look! Hubby got me the Thunderbirds for Valentine's Day...Oh. No it was roses. Still very nice.**_

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Jeff Tracy watched the clip Kate had downloaded by Ana Nevada with a sigh.

"Well, that indicates deep thoughts and probably more work than I want to deal with," Anne Marie said with a laugh as she came up behind him, setting files on his desk for his signature.

Jeff cocked an eyebrow at the paper files, grabbing a pen and with quick glances – and the occasional long pause – began to rapidly scrawl his signature. "Whatever happened to the paperless society we were supposed to have by now?"

"What?" Anne Marie gasped. "And put poor little paper pushers like me out of work?"

"I know exactly how much I pay you, Anne Marie Thompson," Jeff laughed. "Don't try pleading poverty with me."

"I earn every cent you pay me, Jefferson Tracy," Anne Marie laughed back. "You'd be lost without me."

Jeff said nothing.

She was right.

"Seriously," Anne Marie asked, picking up the files once more. "What was that sigh about?"

"Ana Nevada," Jeff sighed. "Did you see her blurb basically giving out the details on Alan's wedding? Bailey will probably be overrun with media."

"Nope." At Jeff's raised eyebrow, Anne Marie continued.

"I contacted most of the respectable media outlets. Basically, I told them they had a choice – media blackout, or pictures released by us, as well as an approved journalist being on site."

"Lisa Lowe?" Jeff asked, thinking of the journalist who had always favorably reported on both the Thunderbirds and the Tracy Family.

"Her maternity leave started last week and yes, we sent her lovely flowers and yes, I will send a gift basket when she has her baby," Anne Marie said, looking a bit nervous. "Her replacement is a new-comer, someone I actually introduced to Lisa when the reporter was still in college. Lisa took her on as an intern during her senior year at NYU and has been grooming her to be her protégé since she graduated last year. This will be a bit of a feather in her cap."

"Can we trust her?" Jeff asked warily.

"Her name is Rebecca Blake," Anne Marie quickly said.

"Rebecca…" Jeff murmured before his eyes went wide. "Little Becky Anne? Your niece? She can't be old enough…"

"She turns twenty four next week," Anne Marie laughed.

Sitting back in his chair, Jeff sighed. He could recall Becky Anne and her brother, Tyler, running around the office when Anne Marie was watching them for her sister. "We're getting old, Anne Marie."

"Speak for yourself," Anne Marie huffed. "Now, what is so bad about that Ana Nevada piece? Most of it would have gotten out anyhow?"

"Besides the fact that she never even gets Alan's age right?" Jeff grumbled. "No, I guess it is ok. But…Alan called me last night. He's come to a decision on a few things but has reporters bugging him at home, at school…they are even bothering his coach and friends. Not Tin-Tin so far, but the fact that she goes to school in Boston has been kept a lot quieter than where Alan is."

"So be proactive," Anne Marie suggested. "Have Alan give an interview. Dispel some of the mystique and let Allie speak for himself."

Jeff cocked an eyebrow. "Think Lisa's producers would let Rebecca get some extra coverage by conducting the interview? She'll go by a set outline, right?"

"To get the elusive Alan Tracy on television?" Anne Marie asked. "They would probably let us submit questions AND answers ahead of time."

Jeff chuckled and picked up the phone to call Alan, knowing Anne-Marie would be doing the same with her niece. Alan didn't want to do this, but it would be for the best.

* * *

Kate massaged a kink in her neck. She hated it when Scott was up on Five and would be so relieved when he came back down today.

Keeping an eye on the "classroom" – as they called the former lab area that had been turned into a remote site class for the Tracy grandchildren – Kate continued to work even as she smiled when Jason answered a complete question in perfect Hebrew. Elizabeth was doing extra work on the computer while Michael was dozing on a mat in the corner. Just past him, DJ and Tommy were both sleeping in a portable crib.

"They still sleeping?" Emily whispered as she entered the classroom.

"They are," Kate said, her smile turning to a frown when she realized Emily was standing next to her.

"Em! You are supposed to be on bed rest. You remember what bed rest is, don't you?" Kate hissed, jumping up and getting the other woman to sit down.

Emily sat reluctantly before looking back up. "I'm fine. I had to go to the bathroom. I am allowed up to do that, you know."

Kate glared. "Your house is across the way."

Emily shrugged. "John made sure I came over when the Thunderbirds were called out. Sarah is on Command and Control so I was supposed to be lying down in Dad's suite. If I have to, I prefer Alan's but they are working on the remodeling so it is a bit dusty. Plus Onaha stripped down all the linens, even the drapes."

"Last time I checked," Kate sighed, "Dad's room is upstairs."

"OK, I confess," Emily sighed. "I was bored. Sarah took over all the charitable trust paperwork and with Edward and Ellen out here helping with the clinic, there isn't anything for me to do."

Kate slipped an upside down trashcan under Emily's feet to keep them elevated. "Honey, I know this has been rough. But as much as we are looking forward to Keith, we want Mommy to be as healthy as baby."

"I know," Emily groaned. "Please – can we talk about something else?"

"Like what?"

"How about what the munchkins are doing?" Emily asked.

"Jason has his Hebrew School and Elizabeth her language lessons. I believe it is French today," Kate said even as she reached into the small fridge they kept for the children's snacks and pulled out a bottle of water for Emily before grabbing a bottle of ice tea for herself.

Emily smiled. "Thanks for giving her Julie's e-mail address. They have started corresponding and it is really helping her comprehension."

"OK, so what else before I call Sarah to forcibly remove you?"

Now it was Emily's turn to glare. "She's busy."

"The boys are on their way back, Scott sent me a message from Five," Kate said firmly. "Sarah will be looking for you shortly. Now – what else?"

Sighing again, Emily leaned back and took a sip of water before asking, "OK, what was John talking to Alan about last night? John would only say Dad had to review a news clip or something, then he was going to ask him about being proactive. What news clip?"

"Did you see Ana Banana -"

"Ana Mon...I mean, Nevada," Emily corrected.

"Banana Montana's story?" Kate continued. "The one about Alan's wedding?"

"You know the doctors want my blood pressure kept under control," Emily calmly responded. "Watching that woman is one way not to do that."

Kate sighed. "She basically gave details, some of which we were trying to keep under wraps. So we contacted the legitimate news outlets -"

"Which leaves Utah...Montana...Nevada out of it."

"And Alan is even going to give his first real interview. The press can't wait. It will be on Wolf News before it goes anywhere else."

"Lisa Lowe's network?" Emily asked.

"Yes, but she is on maternity leave. Anne Marie's niece is her replacement and will be doing the interview."

"How did Dad get the clip, anyhow?" Emily asked after mulling over the situation for a moment.

"You know John's program?" Kate asked. "The one designed to monitor information on International Rescue or the Tracy Family? He and I have refined it so anything we might consider higher priority is sent to a file downloaded to our computers daily. John gets IR and I get the family. We forward anything we think needs to be dealt with to the appropriate party or parties."

"And Dad is dealing with this?" Emily asked. "Why not sic you on Banana Brains?"

"Dad wouldn't let me," Kate grumbled. "Something about bodies being too much of a bother for Legal to deal with."

"Remind him that is what Waste Management is for," Emily calmly said.

Kate grinned and was about to say something when a new voice popped in.

"All right, what the heck do you think you are doing?" Sarah snapped from the doorway.

"She's been sitting down the whole time, feet up," Kate assured her. "Surely it was better for Emily to be with me and the kids than by herself, right?"

Sarah shook her head, pulling Emily to her feet. "Next time, you are resting on the couch in Dad's office."

"But the color hurts my eyes," Emily whined.

"Join the club," Sarah grumbled. "Dad may be brilliant at business but he'd flunk miserably at interior design."

The two women left and a chuckling Kate looked around to see five sets of eyes watching her.

"Naps over?" she sighed as she helped DJ out of the crib before setting him down in a stroller. Kate smiled at Jason who had brought the two seater over and was buckling in his brother even as his mother pulled Tommy out to join his cousin in the stroller.

Michael smiled up at his aunt before he leaned into Elizabeth. The little girl beamed at her cousin before she spoke up.

"And our lessons are all done as well. Onaha said she was making jello with grapes in them. Can we have that for snack?"

Kate smiled and nodded, leading the children from the classroom. Someday, the children would, one by one, go off to boarding schools, much as Alan had. But for now, she would enjoy the best part of her day. No reports, no conference calls, no high pressure business games…Just enjoy being Mom/Aunt Kate was the best thing. She could worry about everything else later.

But the matter of Alan and the joys of the media? Somehow that thought could never be pushed completely from her mind.

* * *

Jeannie Landman entered the small diner that had been her home (if you want to get technical, the small apartment above was where she had slept) since she was six. Millie Bates gave her daughter an absent wave as the younger woman strolled to the back of the diner to the table the locals always called "Jean's Table". How many pictures had been drawn, homework completed or meals eaten at that spot Jean wasn't sure. But she couldn't help but smile at the sight of her own son, Charlie – named for her late father – seated in the same highchair her grandmother had used for her.

"Hey Charlie-boy," Jean murmured as she pressed a kiss into his curls.

"Should I be jealous?" Billy Landman – father, husband, doctor and all around decent guy – laughed.

"OK," Jean grinned, kissing the top of his head – at six one she was three inches taller than her spouse, not as noticeable since he was seated. "Hey Billy Boy."

"Smart ass," Billy muttered as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Language, William Landman!" Millie called out from the kitchen.

Jean snickered but only for a moment.

"And you behave yourself, Bertha Jean!"

"Oh…bother," Jean grumbled even as Millie burst from the back of the diner with the energy of a woman half her age.

Pouring her only child a cup of coffee – with Jean grateful her mother was "letting her" have the brew now that Charlie was being weaned from bottles – Millie smiled at her family.

"So…did Scott call you?" Millie asked her daughter, even as she poured a coffee for herself before beginning to cut up some finger food for Charlie. No store bought nonsense for her grandbaby, no sir-ree.

Jean put down her coffee abruptly. "How did you know, Mama?"

"Because Jeff called me," Millie explained. "He wanted me to check things over. It's not that he doesn't trust you, baby. You know he does. But this is one of his boys and he wants everything to be fine. I don't know why the family talked Allie out of doing what he wanted. It's that boy's wedding."

"Well, we probably couldn't have been there," Jean tried reasoning with her mother. "And it would have hurt some feelings if they had a little hole in the wall affair."

"Getting married at sunset on a tropical island isn't a hole in the wall, Bertha Jean," Millie corrected. "It's romantic. And those two grew up there, not here in Bailey. Yes, I know Alan spent ten years here. But he doesn't consider Bailey home. A nice place to visit, sure – but not really home."

"Listen, isn't our only part in this to show up?" Billy asked. "It's none of our affair."

Both Bates women turned to glare at Billy who wisely took over the feeding of his son.

It was safer for him.

"Well, the wedding is coming up soon. We'll be going shopping for new outfits Sunday," Millie said firmly.

"Oh, Mama – do I…"

"Yes, you do," Millie said as she stood up. "You could use with a nice dress. I haven't seen you in one since your wedding day. Why even Amos'…"

Jean clutched her mother's hand, knowing how fond Millie had been of Amos. "Mama, I was there representing the Department. I had to be in uniform."

"Well," Millie said, gathering her grit back up. "You will be in a dress come Allie's wedding day, you hear me? And William, that includes you."

"I have to wear a dress?" Billy snickered.

"Nope," Millie said. "You don't have the legs for it."

Jean snickered, making her son begin to emit childish giggles as well.

"That's it," Billy groaned. "Gang up on me."

The family's laughter drew the glare of Keifer Dutton as he came in to pick up his take-out order.

"Some day," Keifer thought in anger. "Some day, I will make you all pay."

Grabbing his take out and throwing down his money, Dutton stomped out, looking around the street. Down at the bus terminal, the once a week bus from Kansas City was dropping off its passengers. He recognized Mr. Taylor's college age son, the Widow Dubois, back from visiting her newest grandchild in Tennesee and…who were those two men?

Oh, well. He wasn't on duty right now and frankly Dutton couldn't care less.

* * *

Alan Tracy sat in a small coffee shop in Faneuil Hall, sipping on a latte and waiting for his girlfriend – no, wait, fiancée - to join him.

"Well, hello, Alan," another voice interrupted his thoughts.

Looking up, Alan stifled a sigh. "Hello, Monica," he politely responded. The woman – a five year employee of Tracy Industries – had made a few rather blatant passes at him since she had transferred to Boston a couple of years ago. Even before his internship in the fall, Alan had sometimes worked on projects at the Boston office, especially Tracy Industries work. Considering the woman was closer to Gordon's age than his, it was kinda embarrassing.

Finding out Monica and Gordon had had an affair made it even more so.

Lifting up her coffee, Monica gave what she thought was a winsome smile. "Mind if I sit with you?"

"Actually, I have company coming," Alan said as politely as she could.

"Annabeth Roberts?" Monica asked. At Alan's startled look, she shrugged. "I live close to her house. I've seen you go there. Gordon assured me you weren't seeing her – I mean, she's way too old for you."

Alan refrained from saying anything. Annabeth was only a couple of years older than Monica but Alan wasn't about to point that out. However, he was annoyed that his brother had been apparently gossiping about him with this woman.

"Well, I was sure it was personal and I got worried. Woman like that see a young, well-to-do man like yourself and can only see him as a meal ticket, right?" Monica cooed. "No Tracy boy could possibly be seeing her for any other reason, hmmm?"

Alan looked startled but a new voice broke in to defend him.

"Seeing as you are a Tracy Employee," Tin-Tin coolly said, "I am sure you were informed that confidentiality extends to not talking about the Tracy Family."

"And you are?" Monica Bates sneered.

Holding up her left hand and flashing her engagement ring, Tin-Tin grinned. "Someone with a lot stronger claim than you. By the way, Alan doesn't like leftovers. And yes, Kate has had you investigated. She was curious about who would spy on Alan and report it to Gordon. Now, Gordon might believe your claim that you were "worried about poor Alan" but I'm not buying it. I am going to be Alan's wife. And I do not share. Got it?"

Monica tossed her head back and stormed off, dumping her full cup of coffee in the nearest trash can.

Tin-Tin sat down, taking a sip of her iced mocha latte and smiling at Alan. "So…what's new?"

Alan shook his head with a grin. "Damn, but you can be one scary woman, Tin-Tin Kyrano."

Kissing him gently, the woman grinned, reminding Alan of the girl who had first captured his heart.

"And don't you ever forget it, Alan Shepard Tracy."

Leaning back again, Tin-Tin sighed. "Ready for the interview?"

Alan shrugged. "Not really. Even once my picture starting circulating, I still have enjoyed as much anonymity as a Tracy son gets. This will ruin it. But I want everything out in the open and this is the best way to do it." Running his thumb over the back of her hand, he sighed.

"Sure you have to go back with your folks after graduation?"

Tin nodded. "Yes. Mom is making my dress, remember? I want to look perfect for you."

Kissing her gently, Alan smiled. "You always look perfect to me."

The young couple kissed some more and spoke softly of the future they were planning together, oblivious to angry eyes glaring their way.

Monica Bates watched Alan Tracy with a sense of cold fury. Once her brief affair with Gordon had run its course – and carefully maintaining a friendship with the man to keep an in – Monica had practically drooled the first time a twenty year old Alan had walked past her desk. Young, athletic, a star in the making…he would be her ticket to the good life.

But she had not known about a fiancée. However, after some discreet inquiries, she did know what Annabeth Roberts did for a living. Pulling out her phone, Monica came to a hasty decision. Maybe it was time to take her old college pal up on her offer…

"Ana? It's Moni. Have I got a scoop for you…"

* * *

_**A/N - OK, sorry for yet another delay...**_

_**Alan - Umm, wasn't this supposed to be up yesterday?**_

_**CC - I fell asleep, ok?**_

_**Alan - Party hardy?**_

_**CC - Hardly a party. Worked both jobs, had trouble falling asleep only to be woke up before 4 by a phone call from my brother that mom was taken to the hospital by ambulance. With the cancer, I was scared it was something life-or-death, but it turned out the pain was from early stages of pneumonia. So I headed back to work by 11, worked up 4:30, came home and spent an hour clearing the driveway of the newest foot of snow that has been dumped on us, made dinner, ate said dinner and went to sleep by 9. **_

_**Alan - Ouch. I suppose the stress in my life is nothing to whine about.**_

_**CC - Not yet it isn't. Wait. It will be.**_

_**Alan - You're using me for stress relief again, aren't you.**_

_**CC -As I tell my daughter, insert evil grin here.**_

_**Alan - CC?**_

_**CC - Yeah?**_

_**Alan - You are about to be evil, aren't you?**_

_**CC - What do you mean "about to be?"**_

_**Alan - Go back to sleep CC.**_

_**CC - Sorry, can't. But thank you for your understanding. We who are about to inflict emotional pain and suffering - and maybe some physical...or a lot of physical pain and suffering (Alan's eyes go wide) - salute you. And to anyone who I didn't answer - including some nice anon reviews - thanks for the support. I needed it.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Buried Emotions**

_**Disclaimer - Look! Hubby got me the Thunderbirds for Valentine's Day...Oh. No it was roses. Still very nice.**_

_**This is mainly Alan's interview. Hope I caught all the reviews. If not, deeply appreciated if not acknowledged.**_

* * *

Chapter Seven

Rebecca Blake took another sip of her coffee and looked over her notes one more time.

"Hey," a new voice broke in.

Rebecca turned, grinning. "Wow. If I'd have thought little Allie Tracy would have grown up so hot, I would have let you kiss me after all."

Alan went beet red. "Aw, come on. I was six years old!"

"And I was nine!" Rebecca laughed.

Alan shrugged. "I liked older women."

Laughing again, the pair moved towards the "living room" set in the local Wolf News Network studio. As they sat and let the audio techs fit them for their microphones, Rebecca smiled at a clearly nervous Alan.

"Now, nothing to be nervous about, Alan. I have the list of approved subjects and if you don't mind, I do have one or two I want to broach that weren't listed." At Alan's confused look, Rebecca motioned the techs aside, a nod indicating she wanted them off until she signaled otherwise.

"Alan," Rebecca softly said. "I got a tip that Ana Nevada is trying to verify that you have been a patient of a Boston psychiatrist, Annabeth Roberts. You know if it is true, she'll put the worst possible spin on this. I won't say anything if you don't want me to, but - "

"But you want me to be proactive," Alan muttered, clearly distressed.

"You don't have to…"

"Yes," Alan sighed. "Yes I do. You open the door but I will walk into the room. Like the rest of this, we need to make the first mark."

Rebecca smiled. "You really are a die-hard Tracy, aren't you?"

Smiling back, Alan shrugged. "I've tried to be."

* * *

Tin-Tin Kyrano watched from the production area, smiling gratefully when a stage hand passed her a bottle of water. Taking a sip in an effort to sooth her nerves more than any actual thirst, Tin-Tin saw a distressed look flash over Alan's face before he came back to his usual controlled self. Unconsciously, Tin-Tin reached out to touch Alan's mind. She relaxed when she felt his warmth and humor roll over her.

This was something none of his family knew. Alan was more like her family than his own in that way, although she wondered if the psychic connection the brothers seemed to share was an indication of something more. But Alan had a little bit of an edge on that. It made him more sensitive at times. Her father had been working with Alan on it ever since the incident with her uncle…with the Hood. She refused to think of that monster, the man who had nearly killed Alan, as family. The Tracys were her family – and Alan was her life. And she would defend the man who defined her world with her last breath.

Even from the media, Tin-Tin wryly thought, trying to relax as the director indicated the interview was about to start.

* * *

"Has it started yet?" Kate asked breathlessly as she ran into the main house.

"No," Emily said from her place on the couch. John was nervously by her side, while Sarah remained on the other. Emily shot a glare at Sarah as she pulled back her wrist. "I'm fine," she grumbled. "Stop taking my pulse."

"Maybe you should -" John began only for his wife to cut him off.

"Sit back, watch Alan's interview and have you guys relax. I am almost at my due date and we are fine."

Sarah said nothing, knowing that Emily was actually at the riskiest part of her pregnancy.

"Why are they doing this live, anyhow?" Scott grumbled from his seat. He had only just returned from Thunderbird Five. The family was testing a remote system but between Alan's graduation then wedding and the eminent birth of John and Emily's son, there was really no practical way for anyone besides Brains to go and he had his own son's graduation approaching. So a shakedown of the remote system was being done.

Not to mention, there was no way anyone wanted John up there this close to the baby's birth. Gordon didn't need another black eye.

"The network chose to run this live because that way no one could accuse them of editing it later," Jeff explained calmly. He was due to leave for New York in the morning with Kate. While his daughter in law had meetings, Jeff was bringing Alan and Tin-Tin to New York to celebrate their birthdays. Alan's had been a week ago – Gordon had gone to Boston for it – and Tin-Tin's was next week but so were the kids' graduations.

"They have a fluff piece that can be fit in to the news magazine now if Alan's interview is less than ten minutes or another fluff piece due for the end if it runs long will be bumped," Kate said absently as she looked around. "Where are the kids?"

"Onaha and Kyrano," Virgil said, sitting by his wife's feet. "They are going to watch the recording and we can decide if we want the kids to watch later."

"That works," Kate said as she settled next to Scott.

As a commercial for the latest Ford Hybrid F-150 truck faded away,

"Show time," John muttered as Emily squeezed his hand in silent support.

* * *

Smiling at the camera, Rebecca Blake tilted her head slightly as if inviting her viewers into her confidence.

"No family in recent American history has been as fascinating or dynamic as that of the Tracys. They are more than rich and famous – they are almost American Royalty. But unlike so many well-to-do families, they are known for not being known. They do not invite attention from the media and in fact, guard their privacy well. Jeff Tracy – former astronaut and now a billionaire businessman – was widowed when his youngest son, Alan, was only three, leaving the man to raise five sons, ranging in age from three to fifteen, on his own. With the grit and determination that his farming ancestors were known for, Jeff Tracy did so and continued to grow his business into an international conglomerate known around the globe. His sons have gone on to make their own mark in the world. Eldest son Scott was a hero in the Terrorist Wars, winning the Medal of Honor for saving lives at the risk of his own. John, an astronomer, has published eleven books and is known for discovering a star which he later named for his late mother, Lucy. Virgil Tracy has played piano for Presidents and Kings and has two paintings hanging in the White House – and four more at the National Gallery. Fourth son Gordon is perhaps best known as a Gold Medal Winner at the summer Olympics eight years ago. But youngest son Alan has always been a bit of an enigma. Today that will end."

Smiling again, Rebecca paused as the camera angle adjusted to show both her and her guest. Leaning back slightly, she quickly spoke to Alan.

"Welcome, Alan," Rebecca cheerfully greeted him.

Alan smiled back and nodded. "Thank you, Rebecca."

Off stage, the director muttered, "God, the camera loves this kid." He shut up at the glare shot his way by Tin-Tin.

"Now," Rebecca with a confiding demeanor, "You have been in the press a lot in the last eight years. Some good, some bad but for the most part your family has tried to keep you out of the media. In fact, I recall when People Magazine ran a story on your family, no recent image of you was available."

"First off," Alan explained calmly. "The Tracys never approved that story. Dad hated it in fact. He was also disgusted with the picture they did run."

"One of you at age three, I believe."

"One of me in my father's arms," Alan said sharply. "Still with obvious injuries at my mother's funeral."

Rebecca nodded. "Yes, I can see how that would be painful to your family." Watching Alan pull himself back together, she continued.

"Before we discuss anything else, I would love to know – you have so much else going on right now but will one of those things be going to the Olympic Trials in June then hopefully on to the Summer Olympics in France?"

Alan chewed his lower lip for a moment before answering.

"It won't."

Thousands of miles away on Tracy Island the silence was deafening.

Alan leaned forward slightly. "Like you said, Rebecca, I have so much going on. I graduate from Harvard next week, my first book goes on sale not long after I get married in June and I agreed to do a limited book tour. I was supposed to start working full time for Tracy Enterprises July 1st but that has been pushed back to August 1st to give me some breathing room."

"I have to admit," Rebecca mused. "I found that fascinating. You have been technically working for your family business since you were sixteen."

Alan almost choked on the water he was sipping before he realized Rebecca was talking about Tracy Enterprises and not International Rescue.

Besides, he started that at fourteen.

"Technically," Alan shared with a cheeky grin. "I was a contract employee. No benefits. But since I was still in school it was a moot point – I was covered under Dad's insurance."

Rebecca laughed. "Well, you have to admit it was unusual."

Shrugging, Alan tilted his head. "A lot of kids have part time jobs during the summer while in school."

"There's a big difference between working at McDonald's and helping design state of the art security systems," Rebecca pointed out.

Nodding this time, Alan conceded her point – sort of.

"Yes, I earned more and didn't go home smelling like French fries. But," he continued firmly. "I earned my place on any project I worked on. The staff at Tracy Enterprises in the best and they expect only top grade work from anyone on one of their teams. No one gets a free ride. Or as Dad likes to tell us – no short cuts. Put in the work, put in the effort and get the job done."

"Well, how did you first get on to one of the teams?" Rebecca asked with genuine interest. "I mean, at sixteen -"

"Actually," Alan laughed, "I was fifteen. I'm sure you remember the incident at my boarding school when I was hit by a car."

"Of course," Rebecca allowed. "For any viewer who doesn't recall, when Alan was attending Wharton's Academy for Boys he was struck from behind by a fellow student who had snuck off campus in a school vehicle and attended a party where he had become intoxicated. You were out running on a back road – a service road I believe? – and that was why it took so long to find you after he left you there."

Alan nodded in agreement. "It wasn't an easy recovery. I actually wasn't able to rejoin the track team until the Spring of the following year. My family did their best to distract me that summer. One day. I happened to find some work of John's and started scribbling notes. John came back and instead of getting mad at me, started a discussion on my ideas. He liked them so much, he incorporated them. And when the final costs for the project were submitted, he included a consulting fee for me."

Rebecca leaned forward. "The hit and run incident was only one of several troubling incidents that occurred to you while in high school. May I review them?"

Taking Alan's nod as an OK, she began.

"While at Wharton's, you were hit by a car, found yourself in hostage situation three times, caught in a bomb blast in the parking garage of Tracy Towers, and poisoned by a disgruntled Tracy Enterprises employee."

"Well, Lainie Roy wasn't so much disgruntled as a bit of a nut job," Alan snickered. "And she was more ticked off that Virgil was dating Sarah and ignoring her."

Rebecca shook her head in amazement that Alan could find something funny about that.

"What incident in high school was the most traumatic for you?" she asked in genuine curiosity.

"Delivering my nephew Jason during a power outage in New York," Alan quickly replied. "You didn't mention it but that was simultaneously the most amazing and terrifying moment of my life and one I will be more than happy to never repeat."

Chuckling with him, Rebecca quickly grew serious once more when she changed the subject. "Those incidents all occurred while you were attending Wharton's. But there was another incident at the high school you attended before Wharton's, wasn't there?"

On the Island, everyone tensed even as Kate and Jeff stared in shock. THAT wasn't among the approved topics.

Alan nodded slowly. "Yes, I attended Holly Brook Academy in California for the first few months of my Freshman year."

"Yes," Rebecca nodded. "And if I remember correctly, the school closed after a scandal erupted a few years ago when it was revealed that one of the teachers had been molesting boys there for years. He even had a "type" – blonde, blue eyes and around thirteen or fourteen. That sounds a lot like you. Were you ever, well…"

"Molested by him?" Alan said with a sigh. "Yes. Did it go as far as it did with his other targets? No. But only because the day he tried something with me, I accidently cracked a Bunsen burner and ended up blowing up the chemistry lab. I was withdrawn from Holly Brook and later transferred to Wharton's. It was a good thing because Tomo was there."

"I want to touch on that subject in a moment," Rebecca gently said. "But why didn't that come to light? You weren't his first victim-"

"Target," Alan said quickly. "None of us should consider ourselves victims of that monster."

"Fine," Rebecca allowed. "Target. But I can't see the Tracys doing nothing."

Alan sighed. "They didn't know. Dad was caught up in business when it happened and by the time he got there, the professor had spun it that I had been goofing off. Although the investigation proved that wasn't true, Dad was pretty upset when we first saw each other. My mother died because of someone doing something they shouldn't have been under the circumstances and he was pretty mad that I would do something like that. We fought, I was hurt and I didn't feel like he would listen. I'll never know now. But as time went by, I felt like I couldn't say anything. Not an uncommon thing for people in that situation."

"So you didn't say anything," Rebecca sighed. "And then you brought up Tomo…"

"Tomo Wattamee," Alan explained. "He was an amazing friend and practically another brother. I could – and did – tell him anything."

"He died just after you graduated from Wharton's," Rebecca gently probed. "Was that just one thing too many for you? Especially considering the scandal had just broken about Hollybrook and your family now knew about it?"

Now it was Alan's turn to sigh. "I tried to deal with it. I made it through the first half of my Freshman year at Harvard but…well, I felt like I needed help to deal and my sister-in-law, Emily, helped me find a professional to talk to." He grinned wryly. "So yes, I went to a shrink."

"And it helped?" Rebecca questioned.

"Incredibly," Alan said. "My feelings about Tomo's death, letting me deal with the previously mentioned incidents, even the guilt over my mother's death."

"May I ask about why you would feel any guilt over your mother's death?" Rebecca gently said. "You were only three."

"Beyond your normal survivor's guilt?" Alan mused. "I lived, she didn't? As I got older, and especially with Tomo dying, I was trying really hard to remember my mother. See, the only real memory I have of her is her dying next to me in the avalanche. And I could recall things that bothered me. It was during some of my therapy that I realized what it was. My mother moved several times, as best she could, trying to clear snow away from my face to give me a bigger air pocket and again when she took my glove and pushed it up as far as she could. It was my glove that my brother found that led to me being rescued in time. And the air pocket allowed me enough air to save my life. As badly injured as my mother was, she decreased her chances of surviving by moving. She had severe internal injuries and when she moved like that, she virtually signed her own death warrant."

"And that confused you?"

Alan looked so sad at that moment that every heart in the studio and Tracy Island – plus countless television viewers – clenched in sympathy.

"My mother did everything she could to make sure I lived. I can recall her voice, in so much pain but trying to comfort me. She was telling me how much I was loved, not just by her but by the rest of the family. She told me to be a good boy and to never forget that I was wanted and I was loved. I must have lost consciousness about then because the next thing I can recall is waking up and my brother Scott was sitting by my side, holding my hand."

Gathering himself even as Rebecca fought to hold back her own tears at the poignant story, Alan gave a small smile.

"I have to admit, I wasn't always the good boy she asked me to be."

As Rebecca gave a small chuckle at that, Alan nodded. "I kinda understand now. I mean – I adore my niece and nephews. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for them and if it came down to a choice between one of them and me, there would be no choice in my eyes. And those aren't my children, they are my brothers'. I can understand a bit better now. When it comes to a child, one you love with all your heart, you would gladly give your own life up if it meant they would have a chance to live."

Rebecca glanced over at the director who shot her a small signal.

"OK, Alan – our time is about up. I have a final question for you."

"Please," Alan chuckled. "Don't ask me what kind of tree I would be. That has to be the dumbest question in the history of journalism."

Rebecca laughed even as she silently agreed. "No, but you are someone who wears many hats – student, athlete, brother, son, uncle, friend, fiancé – soon to be husband and some day father – and now putting on the hat of writer and electronic security designer for one of the largest corporations in the world. What would be the one thing that you would want to be remembered for in a hundred years?"

Alan smiled softly. "My dad has this little card Grandma Tracy gave him years ago. He always takes it with him wherever he goes. The quote on it says "_A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child." _I once asked him what the really meant. He gave me a hug and said it meant to be a good person and remember what has true value in your life. So if you want to know how I want to be remembered, it would be as a good person."

Everyone in the studio smiled at that self-defacing answer.

Rebecca gave a small nod. "I don't think that will be a problem. Thank you for your time, Alan." Looking at the camera, she smiled again. "And Jake Dunham is up next with his exclusive interview with the rebel leaders in the break-away province of Valekstan. But first, a brief message from our sponsors."

Standing, Rebecca quickly hugged Alan. "You did great, Alan. I'll see you in Kansas for your wedding."

Alan moved towards Tin-Tin, leaning into the hug she gave him. "Did I look like a total idiot?" he muttered.

"You looked and sounded great," Tin-Tin assured him. "Everyone in the crew was saying so. And I bet Dad and Kate will tell you that tomorrow. Now – let's go meet Linda and Dave for dinner. We are heading to New York pretty early tomorrow."

* * *

On Tracy Island, any discussion was deferred by the sound of the alarm on the watches – a new rescue came before everything

In Kansas, two sets of viewers had two very different reactions.

At Millie's Diner, Jean and Millie smiled at each other. Little Allie was all grown up but every inch a Tracy. They couldn't wait to see him again.

But in a small, run-down bar just outside of Bailey, three sets of eyes watched the interview with loathing. It would be hard to say who despised the young man more – Kyle Westcott, Jackson Mitchell or Kiefer Dutton.

It might be even harder to say who could harm Alan Tracy the most.

* * *

_**A/N - OK, updating. Reality - what a concept - will be sucking away at writing time. But will update when I can. Please and thank you. CC**_


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